Sisters of Stoke began in December 2023, sparked by cold-water swims, baby waves, and a simple idea: what if more women did this together?
At the time, Mar and Lizzie were spending most days in the sea, chasing swells and sharing the kind of friendship that seemed to grow naturally in saltwater. But they kept wondering where the other women who were looking for this, too?
Mar had long dreamed of a space where women could meet through the ocean, try something new, and feel welcomed exactly as they were. With a little encouragement from her parents (who reminded her she didn’t have to wait for a community like that to exist, she could build it), Sisters of Stoke was born.
It started as a tiny Instagram page, created to find a few like-minded women to surf with. No pressure, no ego, just good people, good energy, and maybe a few wonky pop-ups.
But something clicked. Women kept showing up.
One social became another. Then came sea dips, surf meets, friendships, road trips, shared fears, shared wins, and a community started taking shape far beyond what anyone imagined.
Lizzie played a huge role in those early foundations, helping shape the spirit of the sisterhood in its first chapter. And what started as two friends catching baby waves grew into something much bigger than either of them expected.
Today, Sisters of Stoke is a thriving community built on encouragement, adventure and genuine connection, a place where women find confidence, friendship, and often a whole new version of themselves.
This isn’t a club. It’s a sisterhood.
And if you’re here, you belong.
How It All Started
Meet the Founder
Hey! I’m Mar, the ocean isn’t just where I grew up… It’s who I am.
Having been raised between the shores of Bournemouth and the island of Malta, I spent a massive part of my childhood in the sea; salty-haired, sun-kissed, and completely at home in the water. The ocean has always been my anchor and the place I return to when I want to feel most like myself.
Throughout school, I lost confidence and struggled with my mental health. I was also learning to live with endometriosis, and for a long time, I felt stuck and disconnected, like I’d lost my spark. Then I found surfing around the age of 19, and not because I wanted to be a pro surfer (that was never the goal), but because of how it made me feel. Free. Present. Powerful. Playful. Surfing gave me something back to myself.
For me, it’s never been about chasing performance or being the best in the lineup. It’s about the feeling of being in the waves, the joy of movement, the sea therapy, the stoke. That’s what I fell in love with, and that’s what I want other women to experience too.
Now, as the big sister of Sisters of Stoke, nothing brings me more joy than helping women find that fire for themselves. Whether it’s your first baby wave, your first cold dip, or simply showing up to the beach feeling nervous, I’ll be right there beside you, screaming, “You’ve got this!”
This community didn’t just change my life; it gave me purpose. It inspired me to go to university and study Sports and Exercise Science, to give even more back to this space (graduating in 2027 if all goes to plan!).
I try to live by one rule: say yes to things. No regrets. We only get one shot at this life, and I want to help other women live it as fully, freely, and joyfully as they can.
Sisters of Stoke is about so much more than surfing. It’s about belonging, courage, laughter, cold-water magic, and creating a space where women feel empowered exactly as they are.
Whether you’ve just joined or you’ve been here a while, you belong here. And I’m so glad you’re here.
