RENDEZVOUS
Sarah’s 25,000 mile journey will raise £100,000... or £1 a mile for each of the four charities she is supporting.
Opposite, picture by Sam Coghlan.
>> 25,000 mile trip in an
uninterrupted loop. However, the intervention of the Japanese tsunami in March 2011 compelled Sarah to want to spend her pre-planned break in Japan over winter helping with clean-up efforts in the country.
Landing in Chosi in November 2011, Sarah spent the winter in Japan completing volunteer work and set off again in May 2012, returning on June 10th 2012 after her journey was interrupted 500 miles away from the Japanese Coast.
Image:
sarahouten.com
When she resumes her trip in Spring, Sarah will travel from Japan over 4,500 nautical miles, rowing due East across the Pacific to Canada.
There, she will take a break for around a month before cycling through Canada and into the US, west-to-east, before completing the trip with a trans-Atlantic row of 2,500 miles back to the UK.
“We’re not sure where we’ll land yet, that’s still undecided.” says Sarah. “But I’ll probably complete the journey with a cycle ride back to London to reach Tower Bridge around September or October of 2014.
Currently though, Sarah is taking a well-deserved if unexpected break to enjoy Christmas with her family and friends as Pride goes to press before resuming preparations.
“People think I train and row, but in fact it’s just like running a business.” says Sarah, casting, it must be said, somewhat of a more sobering image of life as an international adventurer.
Hudson, Dr Caroline Knox and Dr Briony Nicholls as well as Project Manager Mel Johnson, sponsorship co-ordinator Rebecca Rees, and PR/Events team Lizzie Ford & Jenny Ellery.
People think I just train and row, but in fact it’s just like running a business - there are plenty of meetings with sponsors, and it takes a good deal of coordination to put the team together...
“The financial implications both of the trip itself and the donations to the charities, which must be kept separate, are really important. I spend a good deal of time in meetings, fundraising and giving talks.”
“It’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation; you have to raise the money to obtain the boat and kit in order to be able to embark on the fundraising itself. I’ve been very lucky with sponsors who have donated both kit and kind.”
In addition, Sarah is supported by a great team based in the UK including support kayaker and camera operator Justine Curgenven, number cruncher George Outen and a team of doctors and sports psychotherapists including Dr Sean
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The loss of her previous boat Gulliver though, was a real blow to Sarah, who picked up Gulliver’s sister craft from its Cornwall manufacturer just a day before our interview. The coastguard removed her GPS equipment, so the boat couldn’t be positioned and recovered. The cost of replacing the boat is significant, as Gulliver was fully equipped, featuring an on-board desalini- sation unit which provided fresh water, enough rations to feed Sarah during her trip, satellite communication equip- ment and VHF radio, solar panels as well as a sleeping cabin with harness for rough seas.
Constructed of kevlar and fibreglass with spare oars, the boat is just under seven metres
long and is self-righting, which is just as well, as Sarah has capsized more than 20 times; a reminder of just how much of a challenge Sarah’s expedition is.
Despite the risks though, Sarah remains more than enthusiastic, albeit modest, about her achievements. “As soon as I get into the boat I know that’s it.” says Sarah. “I have to give it absolutely everything, stay the course and never give into fear.”
You can catch up with Sarah’s journey at
www.sarahouten.com. This month Sarah is presenting a talk about her adventure, A Night with Sarah Outen, at Stamford’s Arts Centre on Thursday 31st January from 7.30pm. For tickets call the Box Office on 01780 763203. In addition, her book, A Dip in the Ocean was published in 2011 and describes her 2009 expedition.
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