Ocean of potential, a sea of possibilities | Pamela Lee | TEDxSt Helier

Pamela argues that our world is leaving vast oceans of human potential unexplored, especially when it comes to girls and women in sport. She asks what happens when half the world is prepared to be perfect, while the other half is trained to be brave. From the helm of a high performance offshore racing yacht, where there is no men’s or women’s category and the sea only rewards skill and endurance. She explores how sport can be one of the most powerful engines of human potential. It builds courage, decision making, resilience, and leadership – yet most girls are never given the same structure, investment, or belief as boys. The talk connects big picture themes of equality, representation, and social change with Pamela’s lived experience: an equal childhood, unequal systems, and a career breaking records in one of the most male dominated arenas on earth. It is a call to use sport as a platform for empowerment and to stop treating women’s potential like the deep ocean: acknowledged, but underused and underestimated. An Irish offshore sailor, ocean racer, and world record holder based in Brittany, France. Pamela grew up on Ireland’s east coast, where time on the water sparked a lifelong drive for adventure, performance, and independence. She has built an accomplished career in elite offshore racing, earning three world records around Ireland and gaining deep experience in solo, short- handed, and crewed campaigns across the Atlantic and in the French offshore circuit. In 2022, she founded Ripple Racing, a high-performance offshore racing company. In 2025, she launched #EmpowHer, a campaign designed to use sailing as a platform for equality, visibility, and greater female participation in sport and maritime careers. She is a passionate advocate for social change through sport, believing that representation matters and that women belong at every level of competition, leadership, and opportunity. She continues to race, build, and speak with the goal of opening doors for the next generation. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx