22 year old Katie Spotz raising awareness of the global problem of lack of access to clean drinking water, by rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.
Once completed, at the age of 22, she will be the youngest person and the first American to cross an ocean in a rowboat. But more importantly, she will have raised enough funds to secure fresh water for at least 1,000 people in developing nations.
Rowing across oceans is the new “it” ultra-endurance challenge. The New York Times likens it to climbing Mount Everest and the Mount Everest challenge, many athletes have failed due to health, technical, or weather problems.
Her epic journey will begin on New Year’s Day, when she’ll shove off the coast of Africa in her one-woman rowboat, prepared to cruise 2,500 miles over nearly 100 days alone at sea, hoping to set shore in Guyana in South America later this spring.
Because she’ll consume 5,000 calories a day, Spotz plans to pack lightweight, high-energy foods like trail mix, beef jerky and energy bars to sustain herself. All of this goes into the hull of the 440-pound boat, meaning Spotz will be propelling about 1,000 pounds.
The Times reports that, “In the small but growing sport of ocean rowing, even the smallest sail is considered cheating.” Thus, Spotz will row without even a tarp to block the sun, “lest she be tempted to use it to catch the wind.” Instead, she’ll be lug solar-powered electronics like a water desalination machine, a GPS unit, radios, a satellite phone (to text and update her Twitter feed), and a laptop to update her blog.
Spotz told the Cleveland Plain Dealer she won’t see another human being for the entire three months she is at sea, but that Google Earth will update her website with her location every 20 minutes. Thanks to her satellite phone, she can conduct media interviews while resting along her daily, 30-mile rowing stretches.
We’ll be following you on Twitter Katie, and we salute you. Keep up the good work!
(Photo: Yopko Penhallurick)
Source: Mother Nature Network
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
How inspiring! Godspeed and blessings to you, Katie! May the wind always be at your back.
Best, M.
That’s amazing. It seems like it would much more difficult than climbing Everest… I wish her the best of luck! It’s a great way to get more people thinking about water issues.