Below Deck Med: Captain Sandy Yawn Was At The Olympics (She's Ignoring Those Poor Performance Accusations)

Summary Below Deck Med season 9 is better due to dynamic crew, saving the spin-off.

Captain Sandy attends Olympics, mingles with celebs, and shares her happiness with Leah.

Sandy ignores fan backlash, focusing on enjoying life after marriage and away from cameras.

Captain Sandy Yawn is living her best life, ignoring the accusations of poor crew performance against the cast of Below Deck Mediterranean season 9. Aesha Scott returned to Below Deck Med after starring in Below Deck Down Under for two seasons as Captain Jason Chamber’s Chief Stew. Her comeback to the show marked a new era for the franchise that was slowly losing its likeability. Below Deck Med season 9 is better than season 8, thanks to its dynamic crew. Aside from Captain Sandy and Aesha, none of the crew had been on a season of Below Deck.

The energy of the cast of Below Deck Med season 9 saved the spin-off. Yachties such as Gael Cameron and Nathan Gallagher made waves with their scandalous boatmance that formed while the deckhand was in a relationship. Chef Johnathan “Jono” Shillingford struggled during the first few charters of the season but mostly redeemed himself on the show. The personalities of the Below Deck Med season 9 crew breathed life into the series, though some fans are still wary of the new faces. While the crew faces online backlash, Captain Sandy turns her nose to the drama.

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The Network Invited Sandy To The Olympics

NBCUniversal Is Bravo’s Parent Company

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Captain Sandy attended the Olympics after seemingly being invited by NBCUniversal, the official media corporation for the event. NBCUniversal dished out an elaborate advertising and media coverage plan. All the events from the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, are streamed on Peacock, the company's streaming service. As a Bravo show, Below Deck Med is a subsidiary of its parent company, NBCUniversal. Captain Sandy was likely invited to attend the Olympics as a talent representing Bravo and the network.

Sandy Mingled With Many Celebrities

The Below Deck Captain Posed With Chrissy Teigen & Elizabeth Banks

The Below Deck Med captain mingled with celebrities during her trip to Paris. Captain Sandy shared a picture with TV personality and Bravo fan Chrissy Teigen at the opening ceremony on Instagram. In the caption, she said she was lucky to embark on “new experiences” and “meet new people” thanks to the opportunity. Chrissy wasn’t the only A-list star Sandy rubbed shoulders with as she posted a selfie with the captain and Cocaine Bear director Elizabeth Banks on her Instagram. It’s clear she hasn’t paid attention to the criticism of the show and is enjoying her summer at the Olympics.

Sandy Was So Happy To Have Leah By Herside In Paris

They Got Engaged On Below Deck Med Season 9

Captain Sandy was grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the 2024 Paris Olympics, but she was prouder to have her wife, Leah Shafer, by her side. Captain Sandy and her partner’s engagement was filmed for Below Deck Med season 9 and will air by the end of the season. When the show wrapped, Captain Sandy and Leah tied the knot in May 2024 in a ceremony in Florida on a superyacht. The newlyweds are still riding the high of their wedding at the Olympics in a video Leah shared on Instagram.

The wives walked to the opening ceremony side by side in the post. Captain Sandy and Leah sported red, white, and blue attire to represent the United States. The video shared a behind-the-scenes look at how they made it to the special event by walking along the streets of Paris. “We are just BETTER TOGETHER,” Leah captioned the video. Captain Sandy glowed in the footage alongside her wife, highlighting how happy the newly married couple is.

Sandy's Ignoring Any Poor Performance Backlash

Captain Sandy Isn’t Feeding Into Rumors

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Captain Sandy hasn’t paid attention to the backlash surrounding Below Deck Med season 9. As the season aired, fans critiqued the poor performances of the Below Deck Med crew members, including Chef Jono and Bosun Iain Maclean. Some felt like the yachties were performing badly to stir up drama in the show. However, Captain Sandy paid no mind to criticism from the Below Deck audience. Instead, she’s living her best life as a newly married woman at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Instead of feeding into fan speculation, Captain Sandy is enjoying her life away from the cameras.

Captain Sandy is paying no mind to what fans think of the Below Deck Med season 9 crew. The Below Deck star made the trek to Paris to attend the 2024 Olympics in support of the United States and NBCUniversal. Captain Sandy and her wife, Leah, attended the games together, and it’s clear they’re enjoying life as newlyweds instead of worrying about fan reception of Below Deck Med season 9.

Below Deck Mediterranean airs Mondays at 9 p.m. EDT on Bravo.

Sources: Sandy Yawn/Instagram, Chrissy Teigen/Instagram, Leah Shafer/Instagram