Marina Grew up in Sparkwell, attending the local primary school before going to Ivybridge Comprehensive and then Plymouth College to study hospitality. Marina was an accomplished athlete in her youth, running 400m and high-jump for Plymouth City, Devon and the South West. Marina moved to Bath to work until her 21st birthday when she travelled out to Auckland, New Zealand to continue her hospitality work and from there she travelled the world for many years.
Marina has two boys, both of whom went to Newton Abbot College. One son is now a Captain in the Irish Guards, the other son in the Police. Marina has experience as a governor in a secondary school before joining Teignmouth Primary School.