Marie Gleeson : Be like the sea

​Topics covered : life in the Irish Navy, leadership, being a woman in a male-dominated environment, drug interdiction operations, UN peacekeeping missions, traumatic pregnancy, child loss, grief, motherhood, mental health and emotional wellbeing.​(Please take care while listening, particularly if any of these topics feel sensitive or close to home.​)This week, I speak to former Navy Captain Marie Gleeson.Marie lives in Tipperary with her husband John and their two daughters, Laoise and Muireann. Raised on a dairy farm as the eldest of six children, she went on to become one of the first women commissioned into the Irish Navy at a time when women had only recently been allowed into the service.Over a 21-year career, Marie served at sea and ashore in senior leadership roles and eventually became Commanding Officer of the LE Aoife. She was involved in major operations including a UN peacekeeping mission in Chad, the rescue of a Canadian submarine and a seven hundred and fifty million euro cocaine seizure during a high-stakes drug interdiction mission at sea.But behind the extraordinary career was profound personal heartbreak.In this conversation, Marie speaks openly and honestly about the devastating loss of her baby son Ciarán​ and how grief completely altered her understanding of strength and leadership.Marie’s memoir, ​'Be Like the Sea​ - Life, Learnings and Leadership from an Irish Navy Captain', is out now​ and it's fantastic. Helplines​ :​Ireland helplines and hotlinesSupport Links – Pregnancy & Infant Loss IrelandYou can ​connect with Marie ​on LinkedIn, Instagram or you can email her :[email protected]​And if this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone you think might connect with it and don’t forget to follow Ready to be Real ​s​o you don't miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.