Nina Dobrev’s recent knee injury hasn’t slowed down her environmental sustainability efforts — in fact, she’s busier than ever trying to help the planet.
“I have always been a water girl,” Dobrev, 35, exclusively told Us Weekly. “I love going to the beach. I love water sports. I’ve always loved marine life.”
The actress confessed that it “makes me so sad to see how negatively human behavior affects the ocean and the creatures in it,” which is why she is an environmental advocate. “I think if people were more aware of the damage we do, we could actively try to be better,” she added.
As part of her mission to raise awareness, Dobrev hosted the 4th Annual SHISEIDO Blue Project Beach Clean Up on Wednesday, August 7, in partnership with WSL One Ocean and WILDCOAST at the 2024 WSL US Open of Surfing in California. SHISEIDO Blue Project was established in 2019 to promote the protection of our ocean on a global level. By teaming up with WSL, both organizations are promoting “respect” for the ocean through clean-up days, oyster restoration and more activities.
“I do my part and I encourage others to do theirs,” Dobrev said of her commitment to sustainability. “I’m mindful of my waste, I’m mindful of what I’m wearing when I go in the water.”
The Reunion actress noted that she uses reusable water bottles and coffee cups as well as her own shopping bags — “not the plastic ones” — when grocery shopping. “[I] eat organic when I can,” Dobrev continued.
She reassured Us that there are “so many small things we can all do every day” to help maintain a healthy environment for generations to come.
“I recommend reducing plastic use and single-use containers as primary ways to be more sustainable,” Dobrev shared, adding that people can “recycle and clean up trash where you see it” to make small but real change.
In addition to raising awareness about sustainability, Dobrev has been working on nurturing her own body and recovering after a knee injury. The Vampire Diaries alum “snapped” her knee in May while falling off a motorbike, tearing her ACL and meniscus and fracturing part of her knee joint.
After a successful surgery, Dobrev has been healing in her own time, and tried to put her best foot forward during her recent trip to France for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Honestly, it wasn’t easy,” she confessed to Us, referring to her overseas trip. “Recovery has been challenging and I’m still in a lot of pain and doing daily therapy. Walking so much was hard, and I used my cane a lot for support.”
Dobrev explained that the biggest surprise about her recovery has been “just how slow and challenging it’s been.”
She explained, “I am just taking things one day at a time, being really good about my rest and recovery and doing everything I can to speed up the process.”
Since Dobrev is a water lover and a fan of the outdoors, she is hopeful that in time she’ll be able to surf again. However, she told Us her doctors haven’t given her an “answer” about when that’ll happen.
“It’s still a day-to-day thing,” she said, sharing that she’s most looking forward to “just being able to walk and work out normally first.”
