You can see ROZ’S ROUTE here. Each dot links to the blog from that day.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
After rowing over 4,000 miles of pirate-infested ocean Roz Savage crossed the official line of longitude at 0627 UTC on 4th of October, 2011 becoming the First Woman to Row Across the “Big Three” Oceans of the World: the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
The Ocean Rowing Society International issued a message, “This is a really fantastic achievement, please pass to Roz our sincere admiration and congratulations! We are prepared to submit Guinness Records a list of the records Roz is entitled to and will inform you about it shortly.”
When Roz set out to row the Atlantic, critics said, “She isn’t tall enough or strong enough to row an ocean.” But at last, after rowing 15,000 miles, taking over 5 million oar strokes, and spending over 500 days at sea, Roz Savage has set a world record and accomplished her goal. What motivates Roz Savage to row the oceans? It is her mission to show that each one of us has a role in fostering environmental sustainability and creating our collective future. Just like her oar-strokes, many tiny actions add up to a big achievement.
Colin Leonhardt provided an aerial video of Roz Savage as she departed on the Indian Ocean from Australia.
Roz Savage Sets And Celebrates World Record: Video by Colin Leonhardt Photo Credit; BVPVISUALS.COM
On April 21st Roz was questioning her career options. She wrote, “Surely there have to be easier ways to spread the good green word. By 9pm my boat had been knocked down twice already, big waves had knocked her over to an angle of greater than 90 degrees. Imagine someone abruptly rotating your bedroom through 90 degrees. It’s not that much fun. On the second knockdown a torrent of water came gushing into the cabin through one of the ventilation holes, which I had pressed into service as an outlet for my satphone antenna cable so I could put a patch antenna on the cabin roof. Clearly I was going to have to remove the antenna so I could close the ventilation hole. But getting out of my bunk and going out into the wild night was about as appealing as root canal surgery. Taking my knife between my teeth in time-honoured fashion, I reluctantly ventured out onto the darkness of the deck. It was wild out there – blowing a gale, boat pitching, water flying everywhere. I velcro’d on the ankle leash for safety and turned back to the cabin roof to cut down the antenna. But something else caught my eye – one of my spare oars was flapping uselessly, the spoon broken right across, hanging on only by a few wood fibres…”
Roz (age 43) freely admits to being an unlikely adventurer. She is only 5’4″, and was already in her late thirties by the time she started ocean rowing, having spent the first eleven years of her adult life working as a management consultant in London. Her life changed when she wrote two versions of her own obituary – the one she wanted and the one she was heading for – and realized she wasn’t on track for the kind of life that would leave a worthwhile legacy. She turned her back on her materialistic lifestyle and reinvented herself as an adventurer, using her ocean voyages to raise awareness and inspire action on environmental issues.
“On the ocean, it’s clear that I have to keep showing up day after day and sticking my oars in the water if I want to get to where I’m going. It’s the same with any big challenge, including the environment. We all have to start living more sustainably, and keep up those good habits day after day, if we are to correct our course for a cleaner, greener, brighter future.” Roz Savage
The Grand Baie Coast Guard monitored her arrival and ‘shadow’ from Gunners Coin. Roz Savage was escorted by; Tony Humphreys (Water Logistics Manager) Colin Leonhardt (Videographer), Dr. Aenor Sawyer (Expedition Medic) along with members of the press and MBC News through the Coin Channel to the Grand Baie Yacht Club in Grand Baie, Mauritius, on October 4th, 2011. Roz was warmly greeted by her Mum and Team Captain, Rita Savage, who had been eagerly awaiting Roz’s arrival at the dock. Immigration, Health and Customs Officials attended at the time of arrival and conducted the official formalities at GBYC.
Roz Savage is a United Nations Climate Hero and an Athlete Ambassador for 350.org. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, an International Fellow of the Explorers’ Club of New York (ditto link), and has been listed amongst the Top Twenty Great British Adventurers by the Daily Telegraph (ditto link it). In 2010 she was named Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic .
Her inspirational book, “Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean”, is published by Simon & Schuster. The eponymous documentary has been screened around the world in association with the Banff Mountain Film Festival.
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For further information and to schedule interviews:
In the USA and Canada please contact:
Sandra Vaughn, Development Specialist for Roz Savage, (971) 373-8095; sandra.vaughn.pm@gmail.com
For B-roll and High-res press photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67864917@N02/with/6195421366/
http://vimeo.com/user1977497 Photo/Film Credit; BVPVISUALS.COM
In the UK, Australia, and all other countries please contact:
Alan Murray or Zoe Chanas at Seven20 Management.
Office: +44 (0)1403 282 199, +44 (0)1403 282 199; Mobile: +44 (0) 7760 183744, +44 (0)7760 183744; Email: alan@murraypr.com
You have tons of tweets, messages etc and no doubt this will get lost in the thousands of congrats…but I am so proud of you girl, you’ve done Yorkshire proud.
The courage, skill, fearlessness, stamina, belief..is awe inspiring and I bow to your ultimate greatness 🙂
Well done…you deserve all the plaudits that hopefully this achievement deserves…and also well done Rita, the chance to fly is a great gift to give to a child
Congratulations Roz! You are truly deserving of a “Purple Heart” from Mother Earth. What a fantastic achievement….well done! Good luck on your future endeavours. Respectfully yours, Sam xx
Faxed press release to all of my local media around northern Nevada.
Congratulations Roz for a journey well rowed.
I cannot tell you how excited I am for you. I actually just got teary-eyed thinking about how far you’ve come and how wonderful it must be to be on land, with your mom and friends. You have, undoubtedly, inspired me to dream big.
Enjoy your beer and getting your land legs back.
Continually inspired,
Mary
Congratulations, Roz!!!!!! Huge hugs and best wishes from your friend at Lemon Ladies Orchard!
Wow!! You did it !! (again!!)
Ive grown up reading about your stories and am being led to believe that such extraordinary feats are everyday occurences.
Only with you.
All the best to you and your mum.
Nik
nikolinho2001
http://www.youtube.com/nikolinho2001
PS: cant wait to see all your videos!
Pirates, Shmirites…You bested them all. Roz, You’re the bomb.
Big congratulations. Good job!
Have been worried, thrilled, anxious, patient, fascinated and most of all so PROUD! Congrats. Celebrate – you deserve it! xo
Dear Roz, huge congratulations! We’ve been waiting and reading your updates daily! Rest well and i am sure we’ll speak soon! Strel Swimming Team, http://www.strelswimming.com
Congratulations Roz. It’s been a pleasure to follow your progress. I’m sure the planet will be a little greener thanks to you 🙂
Roz! Congratulations on your fine achievements, been following every rowing stroke of the way! Best wishes and congratulations from all at Royal Perth Yacht Club, FREMANTLE.
Glad to know you’re safe and sound.
Regards
Clem
That is the best news I have had all month. Now Rest Roz Rest and you can bask in the glow of your accomplishments.
I celebrated with peanut butter cups as I did not have any Tim Tams. No miso this time. No soup for me. And at the risk of repeating myself YYYYYEEEEEEEEHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAWWWW!
All the best to you and Rita and the crew, Stephen
Congratulations Roz! You are such an incredible woman to have achieved such an incredible adventure. Good on you!
We all look forward to meeting up with you again here in Perth, Western Australia in the near future.
Regards.
M Ziggi
Absolutely LOVING you right now! What an inspiring and motivating story to read at just the right point in my life! Big fan of your work!
Roz, you look so cute and happy dancing there on the pier. We’re all so happy for you and proud beyond words. I wish we could all be there for you in person. What a party that would be!
All kinds of songs come to mind… How about Gotta Feeling–The Black Eyed Peas. Seriously, go out and SMASH it! Like oh my God!…
Take good care of Sedna. She came through. That’s a special boat.
You are a heroine Roz!…I have followed your epic voyage day by day with total admiration. Thank you for all your work helping promoting your environmental messages. warmest congratulations on such an incredibe achievement…david church (rozling!)
Congratulations on this amazing achievement!
David (The Outdoor Type)
Fantastic, amazing accomplishment.
We bow in your direction…
Brilliant – Well done
Terry
Well done Roz! You’ve certainly travelled a long way since you were picking the brains of Ray Mears in October 2004 about getting sponsorship for the Atlantic Rowing race. Big hugs and kisses, Malcolm and Mary (Brookes)
Congratulations, Roz! Fantasmagorical!
It has been a truly fantatic five months that, in retrospect, seem to have passed in the blink of an eye — with all due respect for your slogging and slapping and bashing and solitary confinements.
Where exactly is the “official line of longitude” that marked the end of your historic row? Gunner’s Coin is a majestic bit of rock … I am trying to imagine being there in the tiny channel.
CONGRATULATIONS!
…on your great achievements.
Warmest Aloha and Love,
Lorrin