Ohio’s Own Katie Spotz Begins Solo Row Across Atlantic Ocean to Promote Safe Drinking Water
This photo was taken moments after Katie Spotz launched from the shore of Dakar, Senegal on Jan. 3 to begin her journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
On Jan. 3, 22-year-old Katie Spotz from Mentor, Ohio got into a boat and started rowing. That’s not exactly newsworthy, you may think. But this wasn’t just any old row; Spotz was leaving from Dakar, Senegal, and has no intention of stopping until she hits Cayenne, French Guiana, 2,500 miles away. If you ignore the 50-foot waves, sleep-deprivation, cargo ships and sharks, it should be pretty straight forward!
Within minutes of saying her goodbyes to friends and the stability of land, she disappeared beyond the harbour walls, knowing that the next time she’d see another human being would be several months away. By the end of January, Spotz and her boat, “Liv,” have covered 930 miles with “just” 1,615 miles to go.
But what’s the point? Well, one reason is the pure personal challenge; Spotz wants to find out just how far she can be pushed, both mentally and physically. But it’s certainly not all about herself. Spotz is raising money for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, a San Francisco-based organization that funds safe drinking water projects around the world. The problem of safe drinking water is a massive one, being the leading cause of sickness and disease around the world. But, with appropriate investment, it is possible to address it.
Endurance athlete Katie Spotz embarked on a solo row across the Atlantic Ocean. After 2,500 miles and 70-100 days alone at sea, she will become the youngest person ever to row an ocean solo and the first American to row from Africa to South America.
The original aim was to raise $30,000, enough to secure a lifetime of clean drinking water for 1,000 people. That target was passed before Spotz had even set off from Dakar so, not wanting to rest on her laurels, she raised it to $50,000. It’s starting to look like she may have to increase it yet again.
As Spotz travels along in her 19-foot rowboat, she is tweeting and blogging at her website www.rowforwater.com. Not only can you find out exactly where she is and what she’s up to, you can do what, as far as Katie is concerned is much more important, donate to the Blue Planet Run Foundation and make it all worthwhile.
For more information on Spotz, visit www.ecowatch.org and read the cover article in the August/September issue of EcoWatch Journal.