20-year-old Saint Lucian earns World’s Youngest Sea TREK Coordinator title

Saint Lucia: Jameel Leonce, a 20-year-old Saint Lucian, is breaking the age barrier in the international marine tourism industry as he became the world’s youngest certified Sea TREK Training Coordinator.

This achievement marks a milestone for both Leonce and the island’s marine tourism sector, as it places him among a select group of professionals that get to train and assess Sea TREK guides from all over the world.

The certification was awarded during an international evaluation at Sea Life Paradise, a marine adventure company based at Pigeon Island. Senior Sea TREK official Carl Hansen was the assessor who described the accomplishment as a first of its kind in the global network.

Hansen lauded the young Sea TREK Training Coordinator for his accomplishment. He said, “We now have the world’s youngest training coordinator right here at Sea Life Paradise.”

Leonce has taken on a very responsible role as a Training Coordinator. His responsibilities include guide training, evaluation of performance, and implementation of high safety standards for the Sea TREK programme.

This achievement is due to many years of learning and developing abilities in the field of marine life. He started diving at an early age and gradually advanced through various professional certifications. At present, he holds credentials as a Divemaster and continues to pursue further training within the diving and tourism industries.

Following the assessment, Leonce shared his thoughts on many years of his hard work. “Through passing all my training requirements, I’m now the youngest training coordinator in the world,” he said.

Anthony Leonce, his father and owner of Sea Life Paradise, shared his first diving adventure at the age of four, along with the future of marine tourism in providing career opportunities to young individuals.

“We’ve always said that we could make a career and a business for young people out of what we do,” noted Anthony.

For Saint Lucia, the recognition puts the marine tourism sector on the international map. On the other hand, it is the start of a new chapter for Leonce as he starts training for the next generation of underwater adventure professionals.