A 20-year-old Saint Lucian is making waves on the international stage after earning recognition as the world’s youngest certified Sea TREK Training Coordinator, a milestone that is placing Saint Lucia’s marine tourism sector firmly in the global spotlight.
Jameel Leonce of Sea Life Paradise at Pigeon Island achieved the distinction following a rigorous international assessment, becoming the youngest person worldwide to qualify for the role within the globally recognized Sea TREK underwater adventure programme.
The achievement marks a significant moment not only for Leonce but also for Saint Lucia’s growing blue economy, highlighting the expanding opportunities available to young people in marine tourism and recreation.
Sea TREK is one of the world’s leading underwater helmet-diving experiences, allowing visitors — including non-swimmers — to walk along the ocean floor while breathing normally through a specially designed helmet system. The programme operates in destinations around the world and is governed by strict international safety and operational standards.
Leonce secured the certification during an annual operational review conducted by internationally recognized Sea TREK Coordinator Carl Hansen.
Speaking after the assessment, Hansen praised the young Saint Lucian’s accomplishment, revealing that the certification represented a historic first for the global Sea TREK network.
“We now have the world’s youngest training coordinator right here at Sea Life Paradise,” Hansen said.
As a certified Training Coordinator, Leonce is now qualified to help train, evaluate and develop future Sea TREK guides while ensuring the franchise maintains its internationally required safety and operational standards.
Reflecting on the achievement, Leonce said years of training and dedication prepared him for the opportunity.
“Through passing all my training requirements, I’m now the youngest training coordinator in the world,” he said.
His journey began long before the recent certification.
According to his father, Anthony Leonce, owner of Sea Life Paradise, Jameel first entered the water as a diver at just four years old and steadily advanced through the ranks of marine recreation and scuba diving. Today, he is both a Divemaster and a certified Sea TREK Training Coordinator, while continuing to pursue additional industry certifications.
Anthony Leonce said the accomplishment demonstrates how the marine tourism industry can create meaningful careers for young people.
“We’ve always said that we could make a career and a business for young people out of what we do,” he noted, emphasizing the importance of creating opportunities alongside building a successful enterprise.
With millions of underwater experiences conducted globally through the Sea TREK programme, the certification places Saint Lucia on an elite international platform and reinforces the island’s reputation as a destination for marine tourism, adventure experiences and youth entrepreneurship.
Beyond the personal achievement, Leonce’s success serves as a powerful example of what can be accomplished when young people are given opportunities to develop specialized skills in emerging sectors of the economy. As Saint Lucia continues to invest in its blue economy, his record-breaking accomplishment offers a glimpse of the global potential that exists within the island’s next generation
