I’ve been hard at work on my next book. It will be about the Pacific row, with a particular focus on the environmental issues that I witnessed on my way from San Francisco to Papua New Guinea, such as the North Pacific Garbage Patch and other issues facing the ocean and the citizens of island nations. In the last 16 days I’ve written over 80,000 words, and I hope to finish the first draft before my birthday on 23rd December. I’m having great fun writing it, remembering back over the incredible things I’ve seen over the last 4 years, and I hope that one day you will have great fun reading it.
But I am taking some time out to send this email because I’ve got some really exciting news to share. It has just been officially announced that I have been selected as an “Adventurer of the Year” by National Geographic. Obviously, I’m completely over the moon about this – it’s a great honour.
I’d like to thank my online community for your support, which has undoubtedly contributed to my receiving this wonderful accolade. My boat and I may be the most visible part of the picture, but I couldn’t do what I do without the ocean of support from you and others like you, and so this title belongs as much to you as to me.
I see this as a vindication of the course that I plotted 6 years ago, when I chose to abandon my creature comforts to row across oceans, using my adventures to spread the message that we have to look after this Earth if we want it to look after us. When I look back over the years since I first set out across the Atlantic in 2005 as a nervous novice ocean rower, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the people and places and incredible life experiences that have enriched my life while I have worked incessantly to make my vision a reality.
Now, very important: I have a favour to ask you – would you please vote for me? Out of the ten of us who have been chosen as “Adventurers of the Year”, one will be voted the “People’s Choice Adventurer”. Between now and January 15, people will be voting at http://j.mp/Vote4RozNatGeo for their favourite adventurer.
You can vote repeatedly, ONE VOTE EVERY DAY FROM NOW UNTIL 15TH JAN. If you would be willing to do that, I’d be incredibly grateful! Put a sticky note on the side of your computer screen to remind you! I realise there are a few other things going on at this time of year, so if you miss a day or two I’ll forgive you (!) but every vote counts, so please do vote when you can.
It would really be the icing on the cake if I won this additional title as well. Besides the prestige, it would give a real boost to my efforts to raise profile and funds as I prepare for the final expedition of my ocean-rowing career: the Indian Ocean in 2011.
The Indian Ocean – dubbed “EAT, PRAY, ROW” – starts around 31st March next year. I’ll need $50,000 to complete the row and am asking people to sponsor $10 per mile of the 5,000 mile trip. There’s more about this campaign on the EAT PRAY ROW website page.
I want to leverage this expedition to the max, reaching as many people as possible with my environmental message. The more resources I have at my disposal, in terms of (wo)manpower, budget, and media exposure, the more effective I will be in my mission.
I would be really grateful for your vote, AND for you to forward this message to your network of friends, family, colleagues, newsletters – whatever connections you have at your disposal. Please take a moment to think of as many people that you know who are interested in adventure, athletic endeavour, environmental issues, personal growth, rowing, or simply enjoy an inspiring success story – and ask them to vote for me on a daily basis. More than just a vote, this would really help spread the awareness and the inspiration.
Just to remind you of the link again: ask them to vote for me by going to the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year website and clicking on the “vote” button next to my name. And to please keep doing it again every day for the next 36 days!
My podcast co-host, Vic Phillipson, has also come up with a great idea for a final push for votes on 11th January, 2011, at 11am in your local time zone. 11/11/11. We will be asking people to do 11 things to help me get votes – such as posting 11 Tweets, or sending out 11 emails, or asking 11 people to vote. Vic will be posting suggestions on our Roz Roams website, as well as a special podcast that we recorded to announce the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year award.
Many thanks!
And warmest green wishes
Roz
Roz, I remember your rowing south of the Nauru and googling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru to learn that the Republic of Nauru is the world’s smallest island nation. If you include that in your book, you may want to include President Marcus Stephen’s comments at the UNFCCC meetings Tuesday (December 7th). His speech is at http://j.mp/NauruPrezSpeech
Happy writing, Roz … oh, and I am voting for you every day!
Roz, I remember you rowing south of Nauru as you approached the Solomon Sea, and googling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru to learn that the Republic of Nauru is the the world’s smallest island nation. If you mention that in your book, you may want to consider President Marcus Stephen’s remarks http://j.mp/NauruPrezSpeech this past Tuesday (December 7) at the UN conference on climate change (aka UNFCCC or COP16).
Happy writing, Roz … oh, and I am voting for you daily!
Might I add, sexiest, most beautiful (inside and out) Adventurer Of The Year!!!
Congratulations Roz!!
Happy holidays.
And may I add sexiest Adventurer Of The Year!!
Congrats Roz, happy holidays
Finally , very glad to hear some of that incredible determination of yours is paying off.. Very well deserved.. Congratulations Roz.. jimS
YES!!!!!! You absolutely ARE the definition of an “adventurer.” Finally, someone who TOTALLY deserves the name of the award they are given. National Geographic is fortunate that there even exists a person like yourself who can fully embody their concept (as opposed to the standard vanity-laden rich people whose lives are so boring they have to go manufacture adventure for themselves). I find so few people truly “inspirational” — it’s such an over-used and diluted concept. And yet … you really, truly are inspirational. The two times I’ve heard you speak I have gone home thinking, “Damn … I’m actually inspired!” Now when are you coming back to L.A. to celebrate this award. A Cummins house party is no longer any fun without YOU!
Congratulations on this award. You are truly AMAZING!
– Randy
Good for you Roz! It’s been a while since we’ve heard from you and glad for all the news. I’ve posted the following on FaceBook and would like to encourage all your Rozlings to do the same.
Vote for our friend Roz Savage, the woman who rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean and then was the first woman to row solo across the Pacific has been nominated for National Geographic’s “Adventurer of the Year” award. They are going to present a people’s choice award and I’d like to ask you to give her your vote and pass this request along to others. She has done wonderful things to bring attention to the poor conditions of the oceans and should be rewarded for these efforts. You can vote for her once a day so put her on your calendar to remind you to vote every day from now until January 15th. Thank you!
Great wording, Kenny … I posted a similar blurb, but like your’s better. May I borrow a bit of your wording?
Naomi in NY
Of course you may and thanks for the compliment!
Rosalind! my, my, my. you’re a big girl now.
Very Impressive and well-earned. I’m glad you’ve
allowed to me to join you on your adventures.
Congratulations and keep it up (you keep raising
the bar for yourself, and I’m sure you will continue
Tracy Krueger
Savage MN, USA
Awesome, girl … and sooo thrilled for you! Now maybe the funding you need will start rolling in (just maybe — fingers crossed.) I’ve posted a few times on my FB page and have asked everyone in my huge Irish-Catholic family to post it on their FB pages (I hope they do). Let the ripple effect begin!
Naomi
I went to vote today and it said I already voted … but I hadn’t voted today, so I’m wondering if the site is workin properly. Anyone else have this problem?
That also happened to me yesterday. All the other days have been fine, however, and it only seemed to happen on that one day.
Very impressive … both the book project and NG selection. Now how do you stay humble? 😉
CONGRATULATIONS!