Some of Sydney’s favourite sports stars have braved the cold at Coogee Beach to help protect the precious coastline, taking the plunge in support of seaweed restoration and to raise much-needed money in the process.

It’s all part of Operation Crayweed, an organisation of scientists, divers and passionate volunteers that plant native seaweed on Sydney reefs where it once flourished. It’s a long term, proven environmental project that works to re-establish essential marine habitat, helping the city’s world-famous beaches survive and thrive.

For the past two years, Gemba has supported Operation Crayweed with cash donations from our dedicated ‘Dividend for the Planet’, where 2% of the company’s annual profits are committed to supporting proven environmental projects.

This year, we upped the ante with dedicated pro-bono support, creating and coordinating The Ultimate Recovery Session, a PR and influencer event to raise awareness and encourage donations.

Why a ‘Recovery Session?’ Because for decades, elite and amateur athletes have taken the plunge at Bondi, Coogee or another spot along the magnificent city coastline. They’ve waded in the cold water to help their tired bodies recover from the rigors of professional sport. At Gemba, we thought it was time these athletes ‘gave a little back to the ocean’ and help it recover its former glory.

The Ultimate Recovery Session is a crayweed planting session that took place at South Coogee beach on Wednesday 14th August 2024. Why do this in mid-winter? Because that’s the perfect time for this marine plant life to procreate and thrive, the ideal planting window for the ultimate recovery.

Athletes on hand to learn about crayweed and get hands-on in some underwater gardening included:

• AFL/AFLW stars Jesse Hogan, Toby Greene, Tarni Evans, Izzy Huntington & Nicola Barr from the GWS GIANTS.
• Lisa Steane from the Sydney Swans.
• Footballers Teigan Collister and Margaux Chauvet from Sydney FC.
• Jasmine Strange, Samantha Economos and Brydie Parker from the Roosters NRLW team.
• Netballer Teigan O’Shannassy from the Sydney Swifts
• WSL surfers Tully White and Ace Buchan.

Operation Crayweed scientists took the athletes through the program explaining how the world-first technology, developed in Sydney, is re-establishing crayweed populations on 70 kilometres of coastline. Crayweed forests provide crucial food and habitat to diverse marine life, aiding biodiversity and even sequestering carbon.

Athletes helped distribute the native seaweed, sexing it, and preparing the ‘cray-babies’ (juvenile specimens) for planting.

Professor Adriana Vergés Operation Crayweeed said “It was wonderful to spend time with these brilliant, enthusiastic and super-curious athletes, to share with them our marine restoration project and to get them to contribute hands-on in the collection of scientific data. Seaweeds are as important to Sydney reefs as corals are to the Great Barrier Reef, so by reintroducing crayweed to these reefs we not just bringing one species back: we are re-establishing an entire ecological community. It’s a very rewarding project and our team is incredibly grateful for all the support that is making this work possible.”

It takes a dedicated team to bring an elite crew like this together. Gemba worked closely with FrontRunners to get these passionate athletes on board, while our industry contacts ensured we had the best production crew on hand to capture the action and spread the word.

Nicola Barr from Frontrunners and GWS Giants said “We know, unequivocally, that climate change is impacting the sports we love, our way of life. Athletes are deeply concerned about how a warming planet will impact the future of their sports and the generations to come. With millions of passionate fans and followers, athletes and the sports organisations they represent have a unique opportunity to drive significant climate action. It was amazing to shake up a usual recovery session for some Sydney-based athletes, giving them the chance to learn about the incredible work Operation Crayweed is doing to safeguard our oceans.”

Boyd Hicklin, Gemba’s Creative Director said “It’s so exciting to see talented, passionate athletes who really care about the environment and are willing to give back to the planet. Sydney has this amazing coastline that deserves our respect, and a little repayment for all the joy it brings. Operation Crayweed is making a real impact, and the Gemba team are proud to support them.”

To support Operation Crayweed, please visit the link below to donate and share the story:

https://www.operationcrayweed.com/support

Client: Operation Crayweed
Talent: FrontRunners Athletes
Agency: Gemba
DOP: Paul Van Kan
Photography: Ben Sanford
Edit:Kirk Mihelakos
Swimwear: Budgy Smuggler