Angela Madsen and Beverly Ashton mid GB Row
March 20, 2011---Sea Gals Awards Ceremony Kensington--To Go or Not To Go!
All this time has past since the Sea Gals and I have recently completed my second crossing of the Atlantic as the skipper of a crew of 16. My usual standard operating procedure is to show the people in the best light, keeping all of the negative things under wrap. What happens on the boat stays on the boat! I complete these projects and usually receive the appropriate amount of respect in return for my silence when people have misbehaved. The Sea Gals award ceremony or prize giving is taking place this week on Wednesday at 1 PM at the Kensington Roof Gardens and for some reason I did not receive an invitation? I just found out about it today so making the travel arrangements with 4 days notice although not impossible, will be quite costly. I have to consider weather it would be worth it to go through all of the costs and hardships to attend an event that the Sea Gals skipper, Belinda has gone through measures to see that I do not attend, such as not sending me an invitation or even notification of the event. Vague information about the event is on the race website which is how I learned of it. Not even Chris Usborne, who is the race organizer, has responded to my requests for details needed for me to attend this event. This Disrespect may be the last and final straw
To quote Debs “I wish you would have quit Sea Gals because they never would have made it without you” This is a well known fact amongst the crew and in all of ocean rowing. I stuck with it in spite of the horrible treatment of the Crew by Belinda and the selfish behavior of a desperate crewmember to achieve the accomplishment by taking whatever side would achieve her desired result and faking loyalty and compassion as necessary to keep me from quitting. Bravo and well played! I still do not feel the need to publish all of the details. I may save that for the book.
It was one of the worst experiences of my life. I have never had to subject myself to so much emotional and verbal abuse just to achieve a goal. As a human rights advocate subjecting myself to these emotional abuses was a difficult pill to swallow and I tried to defend myself on numerous occasions regrettably making me nearly as bad as the offender. The bottom line is… I did not quit, the abuse did not kill me and I do deserve better.
This latest project with Big Blue has restored my belief that people are good and decent and can respect each other in spite of any differences. There was no abusive behavior, all people were equal and no one “had a spa” if it meant there was not enough water for everyone else. It was an amazing experience. I wish Sea Gals could have been better. It is what it is and cannot be changed. The monetary costs were great and Rowoflife kit used to help Sea Gals and save money for the project will never be returned or reimbursed and has to be written off as a loss. I can replace these items in time and they are material and immaterial at the same time. I am blessed with the friendship of Bev however the friendship between Laura and I was never real in the first place and I thank God for the enlightenment. I am moving, once again, positively forward with my life!
That being said I think it would be better for me to donate the money I would have spent to attend the awards ceremony to a charity and my time would be better spent with my friends and family who love and respect me.
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