Canadian rowers to cross Atlantic in support of tribal peoples
January 7, 2011
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A team of 16 men and women will depart from Agadir, Morocco, in the next few days in an attempt to break the world record for the fastest East to West crossing of the Atlantic in a boat completely reliant on manpower.
Three members of the team, Dylan White, Nigel Roedde, and Zach Scher, have taken on an additional challenge: raising money for Survival as part of their trip. The three Canadians launched a fundraising campaign for Survival amidst rowing a minimum of a half marathon every day in the final months of training.
The expedition will set out on January 8 (or soon after, depending on weather conditions) from Morocco, where they will head to the Canary Islands to officially start their record attempt from the Canaries to Barbados. They must complete the trip in 32 days to break the record for the fastest East to West crossing reliant solely on manpower. To achieve this feat, the boat must stay in constant motion, with rowers having 2-4 rowing shifts, followed by 2-4 hours of rest to sleep and eat.
On the rowers’ website, Dylan states, ‘Often the best conservationists, it is no coincidence that tribal peoples inhabit many of the areas where (natural) resources can be found. The arrival of industry and colonization brings disease, violence, and, ultimately, the loss of tribes’ livelihoods … As somebody who believes that diversity is crucial (in this case, cultural diversity), I know that we must work hard to protect it before it is gone… I believe in the process Survival International goes through to accomplish this…’
Dylan, Nigel and Zach have aimed to raise at least CAN $10,000 for tribal peoples. You may help them reach this goal by donating here.
