Mudeford Tractor Driver Lexi Obee-Kendall, wearing a high-vis jacket and standing in front of her station’s dark blue tractor.

Making tracks: ‘I can do that too’

Photo: RNLI/Harrison Bates

Thursday 6 March 2025

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we sat down with Lexi Obee-Kendall, the first female tractor driver at Mudeford RNLI.

A role model to her two young daughters and an advocate for empowering women in search and rescue, 40-year-old Lexi Obee-Kendall recently passed out as Mudeford RNLI’s first female tractor driver. Not only is she behind the tractor steering wheel, she’s also Mudeford’s Lifeboat Medical Advisor, works as a GP, is a single mum, a keen swimmer and singer and is passionate about inspiring women to fulfil their ambitions.

‘It’s so important to celebrate women in search and rescue and encourage more women into the RNLI,’ she says. ‘I’m sharing my experience because visibility is key. If you see other women in search and rescue, you’re more likely to get involved.’

Lexi stands in the changing room at Mudeford Lifeboat Station. You can see crew kit hanging up behind her. Lexi is wearing a navy blue Mudeford Lifeboat Station fleece, a pink and brown striped headband, and gold earrings. She’s smiling at the camera. — ‘I want to show my girls that they can be whatever they want to be’

Why did you decide to volunteer at the RNLI?

In 2018, I moved to the area with my two small children. My colleague, a doctor who had been the Lifeboat Medical Advisor at Mudeford Lifeboat Station for years, was taking retirement and asked if I’d be interested in the position. The Medical Advisor role involves doing crew medicals; making sure they’re fit to go to sea. So I went to the station, spent time with the crew and saw the shore crew driving this massive tractor that launches the lifeboat. At that point there were no women in the shore crew and only one female lifeboat crew and I thought: ‘Do you know what? I want to be the first female tractor driver at Mudeford. I want to do that!’

Did you have any tractor driving experience?

No, it was completely new to me. I had no tractor-driving experience or boating experience. I had a driving licence and drive a small Fiesta – it’s the smallest car in Mudeford Lifeboat station’s car park! But the idea of being a tractor driver was completely different to my day-to-day life being a mum and a doctor, and a way I could give something back to the coastal community that had welcomed me and my two small daughters.

Tell us about the training.

The training took me a long time because the pandemic hit and I became really busy at work. At times I had imposter syndrome too, wondering if I really could drive a tractor into the sea down a narrow slipway, with a lifeboat crew on the front! Yes, there were hurdles along the way, but the team around me were amazing. They never lost faith in me and really encouraged me. With the support of everyone at Mudeford, I passed out as tractor driver in November 2024.

Lexi, wearing a pink headband and a high-vis jacket, is driving the station’s tractor. She’s wearing headphones and talking into a radio. She looks focused and determined. — ‘At times I had imposter syndrome, wondering if I really could drive a tractor into the sea down a narrow slipway, with a lifeboat crew on the front!’

What are the main challenges?

The first challenge is getting out of the boathouse itself. At Mudeford, the slipway is narrow and you’re driving the tractor with a trailer on the front holding a big lifeboat – so you’re reliant on people guiding you. Then there’s the weather conditions – it can be dark, windy and wavy. There’s also the pressure that without the tractor the lifeboat can’t actually launch at all.

What do your daughters think to you being the tractor driver?

My girls are 7 and 8 now, and they think it’s cool. They play search and rescue at home, with a little set of walkie talkies. My eldest has just joined a Surf Lifesaving Club and is really interested in water safety. My little one tells me that some of her friends say: ‘I saw your mummy driving the big tractor at the weekend’ and she thinks that’s cool. But they’ve grown up around the station, so they don’t really know any different.

Lexi stands up at the back of the navy blue tractor, looking down the slipway. — ‘At Mudeford, the slipway is narrow and you’re driving the tractor with a trailer on the front holding a big lifeboat’

What would you say to other women wanting to be a tractor driver?

There’s an outdated misconception in society that women aren’t good drivers, but we know that stereotype isn’t real. Women and men are equally good at driving. You don’t need to be big or strong or have a background in driving to drive the tractor. It’s a skill you can be taught. I’d recommend speaking to people at the station and discovering how supportive and friendly they are. Try it!

What do you love about volunteering at the RNLI?

Volunteering gives you a sense of pride. For me, as somebody who lost themselves as a single mum of small children, it restored my confidence in myself and in my ability to do what I want to do. It’s really helped my confidence on a personal level and I have a great support network – it’s like a big family. I feel proud of being part of something that provides a service to the local area and makes our coastal region safer and promotes water safety. As a swimmer and a doctor, it’s really important to me that people are safe in the water. The other massive thing for me is that I want to show my girls that they can be whatever they want to be.

You have a busy life, how do you make time?

As well as working as a GP, being a mum and volunteering at the RNLI, I have a few hobbies including swimming, painting and singing and I’m often asked if I ever stop. The answer is no! I probably sacrifice sleep, but I thrive on being busy and always being on the go, so for me, relaxation is spending time doing something that I love. In terms of managing being a single parent and a volunteer, there are times when I have to ‘sign out’ of being available for a shout, but that’s the same for all crew. We all have lives outside of the RNLI, but as a team, we’re able to offer 24-hour cover.

Which women inspire you?

My mum has been the biggest influence on me. She’s incredibly resilient, brave and does things out of her comfort zone all the time. She’s my biggest cheerleader. I drove the tractor around the harbour the other day and my mum and dad happened to be out for a walk and saw me. I saw the proud smiles on their faces and Mum told all her friends - that was amazing. Also of course, it’s important to remember that women in history have paved the way for women’s opportunities today.

What do you think women bring to the RNLI?

Teams work well when they’re diverse. Everyone has something different to bring to a team – so if we’re all the same, the team doesn’t work. Our team at Mudeford is an example of a team that works well because we’re all different, and that’s something to be celebrated.

Why is it important to recruit more women into the RNLI?

We’ve talked a lot at the station about the importance of trying to recruit more women to the team. It better represents the community and brings a wider variety of skills and expertise to the team. I think the big thing in encouraging more women to join is visibility. It’s a bit like when I started medical school – there were far fewer female surgeons than there are now, and it probably did influence what career paths we chose. I strongly believe that if you can see women doing what you want to do, you’re more likely to think: ‘I can do that too’.

Inspired by Lexi’s story?

There are so many ways you can volunteer. Whether you join the crew at a lifeboat station, become a fundraiser or run an RNLI shop, you could make a difference and save lives at sea.

Get involved