Oarsome Challenge
Howard Lake | 12 January 2009 | Blogs
I don’t normally use this blog to mention particular causes or events but hopefully I will be forgiven for mentioning an individual whose story, I will freely admit, brought a tear to my eye.
For nearly 3 years, a young woman called Sarah Outen has been planning to row solo across the Indian Ocean in memory of her father. Derek Outen died prematurely after suffering with rheumatoid arthritis for many years. I did not even know this condition could be fatal and hearing first-hand of Sarah’s desire to remember her father by helping other people with the condition, is personally humbling.
I know that there are hundreds if not thousands of adventurers supporting hugely worthy causes and perhaps the sheer number masks just what incredible milestones these people achieve. Sarah’s journey will see her rowing 3,000 miles! She wants to break the current record which stands at 107 days – that’s more than 28 miles per day and that doesn’t include sleep… I know how tired I get on a rowing machine after only 40 minutes!
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If she succeeds, Sarah will also be the first woman and the youngest person to have completed this challenge. Of course, any journey of this kind also takes a large number of professional, well organised volunteers and the support crew includes climatologists, doctors, physios, boat designers, nutritionists, navigators and photographers. All hoping the journey will be both safe and successful.
If you are able and so inclined, please take a look at Sarah’s website and consider helping to support her journey and the cause she rows for. Her chosen charity partner is Arthritis Care.
I will certainly be following her journey online once she starts in April.
Sarah and her boat Serendipity will be at the London International Boatshow until the 18th January if you want to pop along and wish her well in person.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.