– sets world record for solo row across the Atlantic
A reception was hosted last Tuesday evening in honour of American endurance athlete, 22-year-old Katie Spotz, who has set a world record as the youngest person to row across an ocean solo, and is being deemed as ‘true inspiration”.
It was hosted at the Princess Hotel – Guyana, in Providence, East Bank Demerara, and the occasion also saw Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mings Products and Services Limited, Mr. Stanley Ming and his family making a timely donation of US$1,000 towards her record.
The cheque was handed over by Mr. Ming’s daughter Serena, in the presence of his wife Michele.
The efforts of the extraordinary young lady, from Mentor, Ohio, in the United States, was aimed at raising funds and awareness for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, a charitable organization that funds safe drinking water projects for billions of people around the world.
It is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising global awareness about the lack of safe drinking water, and funding working solutions today for the billion people living without ready access to this life sustaining resource.
Spotz’s target, to raise US$60,000 (initially US$30,000), now stands at a whopping US$74,630.
She reached Guyana on Saturday, after 70 days and about six hours on the Atlantic Ocean. When Spotz reached Guyana’s shores around 16:20 hrs, she had crossed approximately 2,817 miles during her journey.
According to the young woman, it was worth each of the 2,817 miles from Dakar, Senegal to Georgetown, Guyana.
Before handing over the donation, Stanley Ming said when he read Katie’s story in the newspapers over the weekend, he remembered a story he read over 20 years ago of the young man who sailed around the world single-handedly.
“And I read the book in its entirety and I was quite amazed at the story, even though I am not someone that has done much at sea other than go on a cruise ship,” he noted.
He conceded that it is an outstanding achievement by Spotz, adding, “When I read what Katie was pursuing as a part of her trip, which is to promote the issue of the lack of pure water supply to a billion people around the world, I thought her cause was very worthy.”
“I want to congratulate you not only for your incredible achievement but for the cause in which you are doing what you are doing,” he said.
General Manager of the hotel, Mr. Muharrem Kulekci, said the hotel is pleased to have Katie, as well as her father Dan and brother Danny, as guests.
The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Director, Mr. Indranauth Haralsingh, said Guyana is certainly happy and privileged to have Spotz come here instead of Cayenne.
He said it is certainly an ‘amazing humanitarian cause’, and noted that Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Mr. Manniram Prashad, had also promised a trip to the majestic Kaieteur Falls, which was realised on that same day.
“We would also want Katie’s adventurous trip to bring out the adventure in us as Guyanese, to similarly explore and discover our own country, and to embark on similar expeditions,” he stated, whether it is from Georgetown to Orinduik or Lethem on a motor bike or such.
He said, “As a young person and as a woman, she is an inspiration for a lot of people, and with the kind of determination and discipline, I think you can see what can be done.”
“It is not only about the expedition of getting across the Atlantic and for being the youngest person to have ever done that and the first and only American to have done that – it is also reminiscent of our ancestors who came across that passage,” he highlighted,
“So kudos to Katie and for her great determination and stamina to do all of this and for a worthy cause; I hope we can take a page out of this chapter from her and we ourselves can help others and not think only about ourselves,” he stated.
The simple and humble Spotz said it was a ‘row for  water’ and she was not only rowing to be the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic, but to raise funds and awareness for a charity called the Blue Planet Run.
She said this non-profit organization works all around the world to help communities gain access to safe drinking water.
“Unfortunately, over a billion people don’t have this most basic human need so that is what motivated me and inspired me to continue on,” she said.
Asked about her next adventure, Spotz hinted, “I definitely have a bigger challenge in mind but I don’t want to let that one out of the bag quite yet.”
She said that same day she visited Kaieteur Falls which she described as ‘pretty amazing’.
“I actually intended to arrive in Cayenne and the current and the winds were a bit rough so I decided to tack on another 400 miles, and I am really quite pleased to have arrived here,” she stated, adding the papaws and watermelons which she definitely enjoyed.
“I would definitely recommend people to come here…it has really been amazing,” she declared.
Asked about what the actual experience was like, she said, “There were definitely moments that I would have given anything to be back on land, and then there were moments that I felt like the best place to be was the sea.”
Adding, “Everyday there is just something new, and I think that I will miss that, just kind of waking up everyday and not knowing what will unfold.”
Alluding to her scariest moment, she said, “There are sharks and whales and all sorts of marine wildlife out there; but I never felt threatened by these.”
“It was my encounters with other humans. Whenever I see a large freighter even if they are five miles away, they still looked pretty big and I am kind of vulnerable in a 19 feet row boat.”
“I did run across a Venezuelan fishing boat and I hadn’t seen humans for over two months and when I saw them I was pretty amazed; but two hours later I saw what I thought was the same boat, and I was kind of convinced that they were after me or the boat; but it turned out it was a completely different boat,” she recounted.
She stated that it took about two years to prepare for the journey, explaining, “I spent a lot more time just securing the sponsorships and sorting out the logistics and getting the boat prepared.”
She observed that there are only three of these boats in the world, 19 feet long with enough room for only one person.
Spotz said she had an EPIRB (emergency position-indicating radio beacon) which is basically like a ‘help button’, that in case of emergency, one just presses it and then ‘persons can know where you are and come and rescue you’.
“I think motivation was the easy part. I think I used logic more than anything. I mean my options were to stare at a wall in a cabin hotter than a sauna or to be out rowing in the fresh air, so the decision was usually pretty easy – that I get rowing and get to land as soon as I could,” she explained.
Apart from studying Business and Econ
omics and having worked with several charitable organisations, Spotz also has a number of other accomplishments to her name. In 2006, she completed a 3,300-mile bicycle ride across America for the American Lung Association; in 2007, she ran a 62-mile ultra-marathon in Australia; and last year, she not only completed a 150-mile run in the Colorado and Mojave deserts, but also became the first person to swim the entire length of the 352-mile Allegheny River, to increase awareness of the need for safe drinking water.
Since she began the row on January 3, Spotz’s successful social media connections resulted in followers from 135 countries who have become connected through RowforWater.com blog posts, Twitter, Facebook and media updates.
Spotz started rowing in early January from Dakar in Africa and had planned to arrive in Cayenne, in early March.
Her original estimation for the journey was three months or more, but due to her determination and focus, as well as good weather conditions, she had a speedy journey.