Cook Islands women in maritime gathered yesterday for a special breakfast event to celebrate the International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Day for Women in Maritime.

The event organised by Maritime Cook Islands was held at The Islander Hotel from 9am to 11am. It was influenced by the IMO’s focus on creating more space and support for women under the theme “An Ocean of Opportunities for Women”.

The Women in Maritime breakfast featured five guest speakers Tiare Alice Story, Vaine Nooana-Arioka, Mona Taio, Kiahani Strickland and Amy Ngatamaine. They shared their diverse experiences and stories from various areas of the maritime industry, including roles in safety, seafaring, shipping operations and corporate leadership

Ngatamaine is the maritime security officer at the Ministry of Transport and also serves as the public relations and communications officer on the Executive Committee of the Pacific Women in Maritime Association.

She encountered many challenges before taking up this role, and these experiences eventually shaped her into the person she is today.

Ngatamaine had a career crisis where she had no goals or plans, applying to both private companies and government agencies, and faced rejections from interviews and immediate disinterest from employees.

She eventually received four job offers – three of which she was comfortable with and which fit her skills and experiences. However, the fourth job offer (in maritime) was beyond her expectations and comfort zone.

Ngatamaine chose to take the pathway unfamiliar to her, and she took the challenge and turned it into an opportunity.

Within three years of her employment, she visited different places, met new people and contributed to strategies, reports and conventions that shaped maritime’s future. Through her work, she had the opportunity to connect agencies, companies and people.

Ngatamaine encouraged others to take a step forward, to have courage and to have confidence to face challenges.

“You just need to be willing, willing to try, to learn, to grow. True growth begins where your comfort zone ends,” she said.

“It’s in the moments of challenge, uncertainty and courage that we discover what we truly are capable of.

“Just like the ocean, the opportunities in the maritime are vast, deep and full of potential.”

Strickland, who is the seafarer training and certification compliance officer at Maritime Cook Islands, shared her story through her vibrant career spanning yachting roles across Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and the Mediterranean.

Growing up in the care of a single mum, who worked in the service industry with Air New Zealand for nearly 20 years, she learned three values: resilience, patience and determination.

Her journey began in Australia in 2019 as a junior stewardess. Through dedication and hard work, Strickland was eventually promoted to senior stewardess, a role where she trained new crew members and supported the chief stewardess to ensure smooth operations on board.

She continued her journey to New Zealand, where she worked as a boat host and junior deckhand on a 24-metre vessel, and through this experience, she learned hospitality and seamanship.

Strickland worked on a super yacht called the Beast where she furthered her knowledge of critical deck operations such as diving tenders, anchoring, handling lines and mooring.

Her travels and work at sea took her to Europe to deliver yachts, and further evolved into a lifestyle of continuous journeys across the open seas.

“On board, your crew become family. Living and working in close quarters means communication is key. If conflicts arise, it’s important to address them quickly and respectfully,” Strickland shared.

“Yachting is not just a job, it’s a lifestyle. It’s taught me self-discipline, teamwork and patience. I’m proud to represent the Cook Islands in a global industry and I hope to inspire others, especially young women, to pursue careers in maritime.”