After the initial media wave in New York City, I’m still busy as ever with interviews, talks, and events. Here is a recap of the highlights during the last couple weeks:
Special guest at a Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game. I may have missed celebrating Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, and St. Patrick’s Day in Cleveland, but this one night made up for it all. The Cavaliers were participating in “NBA Green Week” in early April and I was invited to be recognized before tip-off in front of the 20,000+ cheering Cavs fans. Little did I know they would present me with an incredible surprise – my very own jersey. Number 70 for my 70 days at sea. I wonder if they’ll notice if I run on court at their next game wearing it! As I was walking off court, I even heard one of the Cavs players shouting “Go, Katie, go”. Well, hello Lebron!
At the game, a Row for Water booth was set up at the concourse and autographed warm-up shirts worn by all the players were raffled off. Over $3,000 for the Blue Planet Run was raised, reaching my final fundraising goal of providing one person access to safe drinking water for every mile it took to cross the Atlantic.
Appearance at Beachwood High School’s “The Green Dream”. Last year, I gave a talk to a class at Beachwood High School about the challenge and goal setting. The seniors hosted an annual event with eighty eco-friendly business and I set up a booth with my rowboat outside for attendees to check out. The students generously presented me and Jin Zidell, the Blue Planet Run Founder, a check for $2,000 for safe drinking water projects. That’s enough to help 70 people gain access to safe water for life!
Welcome home party. Last Saturday I had the final celebration of the journey with an hour-long talk and a half-hour of questions and answers, followed with the biggest birthday cake ever. The Rotary Club of Chagrin Valley really went above and beyond to make this a memorable day – putting together a short video, presenting a map of the journey, inviting the guests (especially the Blue Planet Run Founder and my sponsors), and reuniting the “mini-wilson” they gave me before I began the journey. A HUGE thank you to everyone who attended and who put the event together. It was another reminder of how small this all started and the magical ripple effect of how this came to be. Except for a bit of volcanic ash that kept Sam in London (good friend and mentor during row), I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my birthday!
Speaking, speaking, and more speaking. Lots of upcoming talks to schools and groups. Yesterday I gave a talk in Portland, Oregon to an all-girls high school called St. Mary’s for their poverty awareness day and tomorrow in Vancouver for a rotary club (in between two radio shows – we’ll see if I can pull it off!). Then back to Ohio for one on Saturday morning.
It’s all been a bit crazy!
{ 10 comments }
I am curious as to what your message is that you are asked to share. Is it about the lack of fresh water, or the challenge of rowing an ocean or a combination of both. Or is it about the personal growth that you experienced while meeting the challenge?
It seems we set out to meet a goal, but we don’t anticipate the multiple changes that occurring while getting there, and when we arrive, we are not the same person who started out.
The wave you are riding is your life….
read ur feelings. it is very inspiring. go ahead and share ur moments through the blog.
Aw, Yay Katie!
Made it, Ma! Top of the world!
You ‘show’, girl!
Yes, the feat itself of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean is and will remain newsworthy for many months/years ahead, (I mean, really – holy CRIPE!!) but Katie – it is your energy and personality that will keep us all riveted (and donating!) for any and all of your future endeavors. Blue Planet Run must just be way beyond thrilled to have you in their corner. Because with YOU involved? The sky (and the moon and the stars) are the limit! Thanks for being you, Katie. We appreciate having you in our world.
(and PS – you also bring people together in friendship, in case you haven’t noticed. I’ve been talking to Mike D. above, as well as Carol C. in Geneva, thanks to our common interest in all things Katie. Thanks for the new friends, I appreciate it!)
hey Katie! So fun to see what you’ve been up to and a post here on your blog! I miss checking it every day now like i did when you were rowing! You’ve made a huge impact on SO many people! I’m glad you’re getting back some of the good energy you’ve put out there!
elli
Always enjoy reading your experiences! Please keep up the good work and keep sharing your thoughts and adventures!
Katie,
This has all been a wonderful experience. I can’t thank you enough for opening so many eyes (including mine) and bringing people together with your dream of providing safe drinking water to 1000, 2000, 3000……who knows how many more? You’re a catalyst who makes things happen. I can’t wait to read your book. All the best.
Hey Katie,
I didn’t get the chance to learn about your inspiring story until after you had returned home. Since then, I’ve been trying to catch up with everything on your site. Thanks for sharing all the pictures, videos, and experiences. You are an incredible person!
In response to OurAsylum above, Blue Planet Run IS thrilled to have Katie in our corner! Katie called us when she was 19 with this crazy idea of rowing solo across the Atlantic to raise money for safe drinking water. And then she did it…all before her 23rd birthday!
We talk a lot about how the global safe drinking water crisis is solvable for only $30 per person. But it also needs heroes like Katie to fire up people’s imaginations so they really can think about what going without water is like, and how it takes so little for each person to make such a difference in fighting this crisis. Thanks to Katie, and thanks to everyone who has followed Katie…keep believing and it can happen!
As a husband, father, business owner and lifeguard here on the beaches of Oahu, Hawaii I have grown accustomed to people looking to me for direction and inspiration. What a wonderful surprise to be inspired by such a amazing young lady. I’ll do my part for the cause. Thanks Katie, for showing the way.
Comments on this entry are closed.