2011 01 05 RATS by Angela Madsen

2011 01 05 RATS by Angela Madsen

Yesterday we arrived at the boat and began the chore of food preparation. I opened my box to find rats had ravaged it and I had lost 20 days of my food supply. Forty meals at about $5.00 a pop. Liz lost about six meals. I was so angry I had to go outside the gate of the boat yard and let out a big yell. What a waste. Deb and I paid a great deal of money to have a space big enough to sort the food at the house but the authorities would not allow us to move food from the boat to the house so our grand plan was offended and extra costs incurred to us by customs and port authorities. Last night we loaded the food onto the boat and sealed it up. We cannot afford any more loss of provisions as there is no place to purchase or replace expedition food here.

They could make it easy for us here because we do not fall into pre-established category so they are making the rules. I do not think we have enough money to make it go our way and they do not see past our pocketbooks into the future. Ocean rowers can contribute greatly to their economy in the future as we have this project. Future ocean rowers will not choose to come here when made aware of these circumstances. It would be better for them in the long run to welcome us and ensure our safety and success of our rowing projects. There are other places in the world to row from. They may have us here now but never again. I will take my business elsewhere.

Still no sign of my wheelchair and negative symtoms of life without it are becoming evident with more back, shoulder and wrist pain. The crew are trying to help me out as much as possible and do not mind pushing me around nearly as much as I do. Accepting assistance is a difficult thing for me.

We leave the boathouse at dark so avoiding all of the obstacles becomes more difficult.  Abrupt stopping when hitting an obstacle can injure the person pushing and can eject me from the wheelchair. We are trying to be cautionary as any injury now could be detrimental to the success of the project.  The wheelchair footplates keep falling off and the wheel has fallen off once. Cabbies still don’t want to give me rides and want to charge more money.  I have to use cabs because I cannot possibly push this chair where I need to go and I don’t go in cabs alone since being robbed.  Just 3 more days. 3 MORE DAYS.

The weather reports are looking good, progress with boat is good, progress with food is good. So far we are on schedule for Jan 8 departure.

Angela

2010 12 17—TransPac Solo Row Announcement by Angela

2010 12 17—TransPac Solo Row Announcement by Angela




My Name is Angela Madsen and I am going to row a solo ocean rowing boat with no support boat from California to Hawaii. What this means is that I will stay on my little boat the entire time, no one will give me any food or water, I will have to have enough provisions on board to sustain my life for as long as the journey takes. I will row as many hours a day as I possibly can and will try not to drift too far off course while I sleep. The time established by female soloist Roz Savage is 99 days. I am hiring a professional project manager, Tony Humphrey to facilitate the purchase, shipping and outfitting of a solo rowing boat as well as assisting with fundraising and providing 24/7 land support and weather during my crossing. I will start this rowing expedition Memorial Day weekend, May 30, 2011 from Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California and will be rowing 2,551 miles to USS Arizona Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii as a tribute to Veterans and Service Men and Women who have lost their lives or like myself, who have been injured in the Line of Duty.



I always say Situation and circumstance should never be allowed to dictate who we are and what we will be able to achieve in our lifetime. Allowing situation and circumstance to oppress us is a choice. I dream big and set goals for myself realizing possibilities and potential for success, being hopeful and willing to do what is necessary to achieve those goals. When I first learned of the sport of Ocean Rowing I was drawn to it. I knew I was going to row an ocean. I did not allow the situation of being a woman and a paraplegic stop me. I just had to work harder and work differently to achieve my goals.



My current project can be followed on www.bigbluerow.com I was planning my solo row when this crew approached me a few months ago and asked me to skipper their boat across the Atlantic in January of 2011, they clearly needed help so I agreed to go with their project. I have decided that rather than postpone my solo project, I can try to do both. It is an ambitious plan but I am a paraplegic who rows across oceans. It seems rather normal to me. I don't have a lot of time to go out and find a sponsor so if through networking someone can help connect my team with a perfect partner to sponsor a first ever paraplegic to row across an ocean then I would be eternally grateful. I do have a fantastic story. On my first crossing I could not find sponsors because no one believed a paraplegic could do it. Now all anyone has to do is check my resume of rowing achievements on www.RowofLife.com



To negotiate sponsorship package contact team Project Managers:

Tony Humphreys

Ocean Pursuits

tony@oceanpursuits.co.uk





Debbie Moeller debmole@sbcglobal.net (661)363-3864

Blogging www.debmole.blogspot.com



Angela Madsen, Website http://www.rowoflife.com E-mail Msparasurfer@aol.com (562)434-8334 cell (562)505-4157



To support my individual fund raising Donate-Pay Pal on website Rowoflife.com or send check to The California Adaptive Rowing Program, 3350 E. Seventh St., # 231 Long Beach, Calif. 90804. Donations should include the words "PARA SOLO" in the memo box of the check. I am also seeking literary agent and publisher as completion of the edit process for my book is at hand.



Thanks for your consideration,

Angela Madsen

California Adaptive Rowing Programs



Solo Ocean rowing Boat, some new paint and some awesome new sponsor logos and she will be absolutely stunning!