Water has a funny way of turning the volume down on life’s noise. The moment you slip under the surface, gravity
stops bossing you around, the world goes muffled, and suddenly your body is allowed to simply be.
That’s the magic Irene Marcoux wants everyone to experiencewithout the side dish of judgment, snarky comments,
or gear that seems designed for exactly three body types (none of which are yours).

Marcoux is an aquatic athlete and instructor who’s done just about everything you can do in waterfreediving,
scuba, swimming, synchronized swimming, and even “mermaiding” (yes, really). But her real superpower isn’t the
mermaid tail. It’s how she’s reshaping water sports into something more welcoming: a safe space for every body,
regardless of size, background, or how confident you feel in a swimsuit today.

Who Is Irene Marcoux (and Why Is a Mermaid Leading the Movement)?

Irene Marcoux grew up around the local poolone of those places that becomes a small-town ecosystem: kids
splashing, lifeguards whistling, older siblings socializing, and someone always daring someone else to do a
cannonball big enough to register on the Richter scale. She tried speed swimming (often finishing last, and
continuing anywayan underrated athletic skill), then found synchronized swimming after a coach spotted her
pretending to be a mermaid in the water.

Synchronized swimming gave her freedom of movementand introduced her to the sport’s darker undercurrents:
eating disorders, appearance policing, and weight stigma. Later, a Crohn’s disease diagnosis in her early teens
pushed her away from the sport, but not away from the pool. She stayed connected as a self-described “pool rat,”
the kind of person who helps out because the water feels like home.

Fast-forward: Marcoux becomes an aquatic professional with decades of experience, teaching and certifying others
with a safety-first lens. Her credentials span lifeguarding, first aid instruction, freediving instruction, scuba
leadership, and mermaid instruction. Translation: if there’s a way to learn something in water safely, she’s
probably taught it, improved it, and answered a DM about it.

“Safe Space” Isn’t Just a VibeIt’s a Response to Real Barriers

When Marcoux talks about making water sports welcoming, she’s not speaking in vague inspirational quotes you’d see
printed on a mug. She’s responding to a problem that shows up in blunt, exhausting ways:

• Social stigma: the stares, the “You’re so brave” comments, the assumption that larger bodies don’t belong in athletic spaces.
• Equipment barriers: limited sizing, poor fit, fewer “try it out” options for beginners, and the extra cost of custom gear.
• Access barriers: lessons and certifications can be expensive, and many communities don’t have equal access to aquatics in the first place.
• Psychological safety: fear of ridicule, harassment, or being treated like a problem to be managed instead of a person to be coached.

In scuba diving, Marcoux points out a very practical issue: beginners often rely on rental gear, but plus-size
options are harder to find. If you can’t easily get a suit or equipment that fits, you’re not just uncomfortable
you may decide you don’t belong at all. That’s how a “fun new hobby” quietly becomes a door that feels locked.

Weight Stigma in Sports: The Part Everyone Pretends Isn’t Happening

Weight stigma (sometimes called sizeism) isn’t just rude. It’s harmful. Research and public health experts have
linked weight-based discrimination to stress, avoidance of healthcare and fitness settings, disordered eating
behaviors, and worse mental health outcomes. In other words: shaming people doesn’t “motivate” themit often
pushes them away from the very environments that could support their health and confidence.

Aquatics can be especially loaded because swimsuits are basically socially acceptable underwear. There’s no
hiding. That visibility can make the pool feel like a stage where everyone’s evaluating you, even if in reality
most people are just trying to remember whether they parked on Level 3 or Level 4.

Marcoux’s approach is simple and radical: she uses the word “fat” as a neutral descriptor, refuses to treat
larger bodies as a punchline, and shows up anywaybikinis, tail, scuba gear, the whole thing. Not to “prove” she
deserves to be there, but to make it easier for the next person to believe they deserve to be there too.

Water Is the Great Equalizer (and Science Backs That Up)

Here’s where the water starts doing some heavy liftingliterally. Buoyancy reduces the impact of gravity. In deep
enough water, your joints and bones feel less pressure, making movement easier and often more comfortable for
people with joint pain, arthritis, mobility limitations, or anyone who simply doesn’t love the “my knees hate me”
vibe of land workouts.

Aquatic exercise can also improve cardiovascular fitness and strength because water naturally resists your
movement. It’s like the gym, except the weight machines are invisible and your hair tries to become a seaweed
sculpture. For many people, water offers a more accessible entry point into fitnessone that can feel playful
instead of punishing.

Marcoux calls this adaptability part of what makes water sports special: the water moves around you, no matter
your body size. It doesn’t demand that you “earn” your place. It meets you where you are.

Safety First: Physical Safety and Psychological Safety Belong Together

Inclusive water sports aren’t just about feelings (though feelings matter). They’re also about public health.
Drowning remains a major issue in the United States, and experts emphasize that swimming skills and water
competency save lives. Safety isn’t just having a lifeguard chair on deck; it’s making sure people feel welcome
enough to learn, practice, ask questions, and come back.

A true “safe space” in aquatics has two layers:

• Physical safety: supervision, lifeguard coverage, life jackets when appropriate, buddy systems,
  and education (what to do, what not to do, how to assess conditions).
• Psychological safety: zero tolerance for harassment, clear reporting channels, staff trained to
  treat people with dignity, and a culture where beginners aren’t mocked for being beginners.

Many national organizations emphasize athlete protection and safe-sport training precisely because abuse and
harassment can flourish in environments where power dynamics go unchecked. For community programs and clubs, that
means policies, training, and accountabilitynot just “We’re a friendly place, trust us.”

What Marcoux Does Differently (That More Instructors Should Copy)

1) She teaches like a human, not a gatekeeper

Beginners don’t need a drill sergeant; they need clarity and calm. Marcoux leads with compassion and has built a
reputation for helping newbies enter water sports without shame. That matters because shame is stickyonce it
attaches to a sport, people don’t return.

2) She treats representation as safety equipment

Seeing someone who looks like you in a swimsuit, on a dive boat, or in an instructor role can be the difference
between “maybe someday” and “I can try this now.” Marcoux shows up publicly, answers questions, and makes space
for people who have been tolddirectly or indirectlythat water sports aren’t for them.

3) She talks about barriers out loud

Many industries pretend access is equal because admitting otherwise would require effort. Marcoux points to
equipment sizing barriers and cost barriers plainly. Naming the problem is step one; fixing it requires the rest
of us to stop acting surprised that bodies come in more than one size.

How to Make Water Sports More Inclusive: A Practical Checklist

If you’re a coach, facility manager, club leader, brand, or “person who accidentally became the swim program
coordinator because you replied to an email,” here are changes that create real welcomenot performative welcome.

Facilities and programs

• Audit your gear: Offer a wider range of sizes in rental equipment and swim aids. If you don’t have it, say sothen fix it.
• Offer multiple entry points: Beginner classes, skills refreshers, private options, and non-competitive sessions reduce intimidation.
• Make policies visible: Post codes of conduct, anti-harassment policies, and reporting procedures where people can actually find them.
• Train staff: Safety training should include both physical safety and athlete protection principles.
• Respect privacy: Provide changing options that don’t force people into uncomfortable exposure.

Coaching language and culture

• Stop commenting on bodies: Coach skills, not shapes. Replace “summer body” nonsense with “strong strokes” reality.
• Use person-first, respectful language: Let people choose the words they use for themselves.
• Make adaptation normal: Offer modifications like it’s standard practice, not a special favor.
• Build belonging intentionally: Learn names, celebrate progress, and avoid “elite-only” attitudes in recreational spaces.

Community partnerships

If you want inclusion to be more than a brochure, partner with organizations already doing the workgroups focused
on equitable access to swim lessons, community water safety education, and building pathways for underrepresented
communities in aquatics.

Beyond swimming: paddlesports, scuba, and open water

The same inclusion principles apply across water sportskayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, triathlon
swims, snorkeling, and scuba. Many national governing bodies and community organizations emphasize equity and
access initiatives because barriers aren’t just personal; they’re structural.

If You’re Self-Conscious About Trying Water Sports, Here’s Your Starter Plan

Marcoux offers a piece of advice that should be printed on every pool wall:
You think everyone’s looking at youbut they’re not. Most people are too busy adjusting goggles,
negotiating with a swim cap, or wondering why the lane ropes are always tangled exactly where they’re standing.

Step 1: Choose your “first water”

• Pool for controlled conditions and instruction.
• Shallow-water class if you want movement without needing swim endurance.
• Intro scuba in a pool if you like structure and gear-supported breathing.
• Paddlesports if you want water time without being in the water.

Step 2: Pick an environment that feels kind

Look for programs that emphasize beginner support, clear safety policies, and respectful culture. If a place feels
snobby on land, it probably doesn’t get nicer in the water.

Step 3: Make safety part of the fun

• Swim with a buddy.
• Choose lifeguarded areas when available.
• Use life jackets for boating and many open-water situations.
• Learn basic water competency skills and build from there.

The Ripple Effect: Why Inclusive Aquatics Improves Lives

When people feel safe, they try new things. When they try new things, they learn. When they learn to swim, float,
paddle, or dive safely, they gain confidenceand communities get safer too. Inclusion isn’t a “nice extra.” It’s a
multiplier: more participation, more education, better safety outcomes, and more joy.

Marcoux’s message is refreshingly direct: stop doubting yourself and try. Not because everyone will instantly be
kind (they won’t), but because the water belongs to you too. And the more people who show up, the harder it
becomes for gatekeeping to survive.

Conclusion: The Water Has Room for You

Irene Marcoux didn’t set out to become a symbol. She set out to do what she lovedmove in waterand then refused
to shrink herself (literally or metaphorically) to make other people comfortable. In doing so, she’s modeling a
better aquatics culture: one where safety includes dignity, where instruction includes compassion, and where the
water is a safe space for all.

If you’re considering trying a water sport, start small, stay safe, and remember: the pool is not an audition.
It’s a place to learn. And if you run into anyone acting like the swimsuit police, congratulationsyou’ve found
someone who desperately needs a hobby that doesn’t involve judging strangers.

Extra: of Poolside Experiences That Capture “Safe Space”

The idea of “safe space” can sound abstract until you see it play out in real momentsquiet, ordinary, and
surprisingly powerful. Here are five experiences commonly shared in inclusive aquatics spaces, the kind of stories
instructors like Marcoux hear again and again.

1) The First Swimsuit Day (and the Lane Line That Didn’t Bite)

A beginner shows up wearing a brand-new swimsuit they almost returned three times. They hover by the pool edge,
convinced every person on deck is judging their thighs, their stomach, their everything. The instructor doesn’t
“reassure” them with empty positivity. Instead, they hand over goggles, point to the shallow end, and say,
“Let’s learn how to exhale underwater first.” Ten minutes later, the beginner realizes something shocking: nobody
is staring. The regulars are focused on their own sets. The lifeguard is scanning for safety. The kids are
causing splash-related chaos. The beginner takes a breath, floats for the first time in years, and whispers,
“Oh. I can do this.”

2) The Gear Win That Changes Everything

In scuba and snorkeling programs, the moment a wetsuit finally fits can feel like a small miracle. A diver who’s
been squeezed into the “largest size available” (translation: “good luck, pal”) tries on gear that actually
accommodates their body without fighting them. Suddenly, the conversation shifts from “Will I be uncomfortable
the entire time?” to “What will I see underwater?” Fit isn’t vanityit’s function. When gear works, learning gets
easier. When learning gets easier, people stick with it. And when people stick with it, the sport grows safer and
stronger.

3) The Class Where Nobody Gets ‘Motivated’ by Shame

In some fitness spaces, “encouragement” is code for body shaming. In inclusive aquatic classes, coaching is about
skill and safety: how to enter the water, how to breathe, how to pace. People aren’t singled out for their size
or treated like cautionary tales. They’re treated like athletes learning a new environment. Over time, you can
see shoulders drop, faces relax, laughter return. Someone who started in the back row begins volunteering to
demonstrate. Not because they transformed their bodybut because they gained confidence in it.

4) The Parent Who Learns Alongside Their Kid

A parent signs up their child for swim lessons, then admits quietly that they never learned to swim. They’ve been
avoiding water their whole life, telling themselves it’s “not their thing.” A thoughtful program invites parents
into water-safety education and offers adult beginner sessions. Weeks later, that same parent is practicing
floating and water competency basics while their child cheers from the steps. The family dynamic shifts: water
becomes less scary, more normal, more shared. The kid gains a safer environment, and the parent gains a skill
that could save a life.

5) The Moment Someone Realizes They Belong

This one is subtle. It happens when a newcomer walks onto the pool deck and sees diversity in bodies, ages,
abilities, and identitiesand no one is treated like an exception. The signage includes a code of conduct. The
coach introduces them warmly and asks what they want from the experience. Another swimmer offers a simple,
“Want to share a lane?” Nobody acts surprised that they showed up. Nobody treats them like a headline. And for
the first time, the newcomer feels the biggest kind of safety: the ordinary safety of being unremarkable in the
best wayjust another person enjoying the water.