ROWING AGAINST PLASTIC: An extraordinary challenge

Consider them both,
the sea and the land;
and do you not find a strange analogy
to something in yourself? 

Moby Dick, by Herman Melville

--

When we first met Team Status Row (Jess, Caroline & Susan) we instantly liked them. Three funny, ordinary women holding down busy jobs in the city but also looking for a challenge to stretch them physically and mentally, and all in the name of an incredible cause.

How did it all begin?

It was a viewing of A Plastic Ocean that first brought home the scale of the plastic pollution epidemic affecting our planet for the three of them. A sobering and moving feature length film which discusses the impact of single use plastics on the Earth and its marine life.

Feeling inspired by the film, Jess, Caroline & Susan decided to set out to undertake a challenge to raise awareness for plastic pollution.

What are they doing?

By their own admission "the greatest challenge of our lives", Status Row will be rowing across the Atlantic (from the Canary Islands to Antigua) in December 2018 as part of the 2018 Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge. The women will also be taking on both the male and female world records for fastest crossing by a trio - so no small feat.

The challenge involves rowing constantly, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week for approximately 50 days (weather and progress permitting) with any two team members rowing at any one time. 

The catch? None of these women have ever rowed before so their training has been ramping up pretty quickly.

How can we support them?

You can find out more about Status Row via their website and social media channels (@statusrow). The team are currently fundraising for the trip and for their awareness campaign so there are lots of ways to contribute to their efforts - from personal donations all the way through to corporate sponsorships.

What else can we be doing?

The mission behind Status Row's journey is around raising awareness of the damage of single use plastics. You can support their campaign by spreading the word and by also reviewing your own use of plastics. As the team say, "if we can row an ocean, can you say no to a straw?"

We're absolutely honoured to be supporting these awesome and inspiring women as they take on this challenge. We'll be sharing more details over the coming months of their journey so do stay tuned!