Why I am a Blue Ambassador:
Q1. How does your sport connect you to the natural environment and how does that environment continually motivate and inspire you?
When I am alone on my rowing boat in the middle of the ocean, I am very aware that I am just another creature and am subject to the same laws of nature as any other creature. It is amazing and humbling to look up at the stars, and think about how we are all interconnected in this web of life, across time and space.
Q2. What has you sport and experiences through it taught you about your natural environment?
I am becoming more and more aware that there is no “away” – as in “throw it away”. Nothing leaves the planet. All our waste has to go somewhere, and the Earth cannot indefinitely absorb our garbage. Increasingly the waste products that we have carelessly disposed of are coming back to haunt us. Even the oceans, vast as they are, have their limit.
But the good news is that we can all make a difference. Every single tiny action has an effect. If I had stood under the Golden Gate Bridge and thought to myself, “One oarstroke isn’t going to get me anywhere”, then I would never have achieved anything. But I took one million oarstrokes, one after another, and 99 days later I arrived in Hawaii. That is a really powerful metaphor for the power of accumulation – lots of tiny actions can add up to a massive transformation.
Q3. A healthy environment is necessary for healthy sports. Through participating in your sport, have you encountered anything that has truly shocked you about the impact human activity is having on the natural environment?
The islands of Hawaii are being badly affected by plastic pollution, threatening the sea life in the water around this tropical paradise. Caught in the centre of the North Pacific Gyre (a vast swirling vortex formed by ocean currents), the accumulation of plastic grows as waste is drawn in from all over the ocean. Rather than biodegrading, plastic photo degrades, disintegrating into smaller and smaller pieces.
The smaller the pieces, the lower down the food chain they are consumed – meaning that they are accumulating to higher and higher levels near the top of the food chain. Eventually they are consumed by the ultimate predator – human beings. The digestion process releases toxic chemicals from the plastic. The chemicals are then absorbed into the body’s tissues, leading to sickness and disease.
Q4. If you could motivate people (on a local, national, or international level) on one particular environmental issue, what would it be?
A lot of people don’t believe they can do anything to make a difference. We can’t force other people to do what’s right. But we can act as individuals to do our bit to help. Take action to reduce your environmental impact and encourage your friends, relatives and colleagues to do the same. You might think that your effort is just a drop in the ocean – but a drop spread ripples.
If I ask for a paper bag in the store instead of a plastic one or, better still, take my own re-useable bag – might someone else notice my choice and decide to do the same? If I take my own reusable drinks mug to the coffee shop instead of using a disposable cup, will I be setting a good example to my children and those around me?
If we pull together, we can truly make a world of difference.
Q5. What have you changed in your day to day living behaviour and choices including how you go about your sport, that makes a positive difference?
I wear a pedometer to make sure I take at least 10,000 steps in a day. It takes a bit of conscious effort, but as with the biking, if I walk instead of driving for short journeys, it is perfectly do-able. It’s good for my body, good for the planet, and good for my bank balance.
Or when I am in San Francisco, I use my bike to cycle to the gym. This is really good because:
- It saves time. The half-hour round trip gives me a good workout, meaning I need to spend half an hour less in the gym. I’ve replaced “dead” driving time with active exercise time.
- It saves money. The price of petrol has gone up about 30c since I was last in the US, so the less I use my car, the better
- It saves the environment. By cycling instead of driving, I save 2.25 tons of CO2 emissions each year. Plus, on a good day, it is a real pleasure to be exercising outside instead of on a stationary bike in the gym. I get my daily dose of sunshine and Vitamin D simply by making a journey I need to make anyway.
I found that when I started living in a more environmentally conscious way, it felt good. it made me feel like a better person.
Q6. Why did you get involved with the BLUE Climate and Oceans Project?
The BLUE Project is a perfect match for my voyages as I can bring eye-witness reports of what is out there in the oceans back to this community.
