Celebrating one of the NSRI’s most loyal supporters

When Nina Russell tells you she’s turning 100, she does it with a sparkle in her eye and a laugh in her voice. “I never think about age,” she says. “I literally never think about age. I just take each day as it comes, ups and downs. Mostly, though, I think I’ve been lucky in my life.”

Nina’s century of life has been defined by warmth, curiosity and a deep love of the ocean, a love that has made her one of the NSRI’s most loyal supporters. She’s been part of the Car Competition and monthly giving programme since 2009, faithfully contributing each year.

Her connection to the sea began in the Eastern Cape, where she grew up spending long holidays by the water. “I used to go with my family,” she recalls. “I loved the beach and I loved the people there.”

That early affection for the ocean has never left her. “I just love the waves. I just love the sea,” she says with a smile. “And what more can I tell you?”

When asked why she’s so passionate about supporting Sea Rescue, Nina doesn’t hesitate. “I see these people going out, risking their lives, risking it all. And they go out for free. I’m really impressed by that. I’m passionate about that, actually.”

She knows how essential the NSRI is, especially in a country without a Coast Guard. “It’s a vital service, a very vital service,” she says. “We don’t have adequate protection, and then to have volunteers take that over, that’s amazing.”

Even as she plans her milestone birthday celebration, which she insists is “not a party, just a celebration,”  her generosity is at the front of her mind. “No gifts,” she told her friends. “Because people bring you some soap and some cookies and all sorts of gifts.”

So, instead of presents, guests at her celebration are invited to donate to the NSRI. “You know, I sometimes think my little fifty rand doesn’t go very far for the NSRI,” she says. “But it’s a drop in the ocean, and there you go.”

NSRI guest speaker Gerrie Niemand paid Nina a visit ahead of her birthday, bringing flowers, a signed copy of Into the Raging Sea by Tony Weaver and Andrew Ingram, and reading her a poem to mark the occasion. “I’m terribly flattered,” Nina said afterwards. “I’m really, really flattered indeed.”

For someone who grew up paddling in rivers, spotting sharks in the surf, and finding joy in every wave, Nina’s devotion to Sea Rescue feels like a perfect reflection of her life, spirited, generous, and filled with heart.

Her message to others is simple: “Go for it, go for it, go for it. It’s very vital. All the contributions help.”

And with that, Nina raises a glass, not to herself, but to the volunteers she so deeply admires, who keep South Africa’s shores safe and its spirit strong.