Lesbifriend Luminary: Mya “Mayy” Bennett (Copy)
lu·mi·nar·y
/ˈlo͞oməˌnerē/ - n - a person who inspires or influences others, especially one prominent in a particular sphere.
Each month we take a moment to show appreciation for an exemplary member of our community. Affectionately named “Lesbifriend Luminary”, we honor you.
Chandrika Francis (she/they) is the founder of Oshun Swim School, a healing-centered, Afro-Indigenous focused swim school dedicated to supporting BIPOC women and non-binary people in rebuilding their relationship with water, on their own terms and at their own pace.
Chandrika is dedicated to supporting people of color to have a relationship to land and water grounded in remembrance, safety, connection, healing, and liberation. She has spent the last 15 years as a teacher and guide, whether in the forest, ocean, pool, or classroom.
With a Master's in Education from the University of Washington's Islandwood Program, focused in decolonizing environmental education, she has been a bi-coastal baby at heart her whole life, moving between Oakland, Seattle, and the East Coast. In 2018, she founded Oshun Swim School to bring that water work home.
Oshun Swim School seeks to create an Afro-Indigenous centered experience of water and swim-skill acquisition. Through healing-centered and trauma-informed courses and workshops, OSS builds a safer space for BIPOC womxn and non-binary people to explore their relationship with water and grow into embodied, joyful swimmers.
When she is not in the water, Chandrika can be found with her wife, friends, one-year-old son, and fluffy pup, romping around their farm outside of Seattle, Washington. They may be feeding horses, picking blueberries, or playing around in their music room, where she moonlights as an enthusiastic amateur drummer.
Chandrika is also our lead instructor and collaborator for the upcoming Puerto Rico swim trip, and we could not be more excited to have her. If you have been curious about that experience, her work is a beautiful glimpse into the heart behind it.
Upcoming offerings from Oshun Swim School:
PNW Swim Courses (ongoing)
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