My Name is Angela Madsen and I am an accomplished ocean
rower with 6 Guinness World Records for rowing oceans. 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. It begins with the idea
followed by logistical planning, purchase, the shipping and outfitting of a
solo rowing boat; I will start this rowing expedition Memorial Day weekend, May
31, 2013 from Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California or other suitable
coastal location and will be rowing approximately 2,500 miles to Honolulu,
Hawaii. It is a tribute row to Veterans of all services and to Spirited
Adventurer and friend Orlando Rogers who was tragically killed in a plane crash
on May 15th 2011. He was 26 years of age and was a Royal Marine. Orlando was
very supportive of me and all of my projects and he was very excited about my
intentions to do a solo row so as I make my plans I think it would be fitting
to make my row a tribute to honor his memory. He wanted and planned on being
there for me as he was on the Circumnavigation of Great Britain. Though it will
not be the same, he will be there with me for every rowing stroke and every
nautical mile. Orlando was a very special and amazing person. The name of my
boat shall be The Spirit of Orlando. Through creation of a pledge page and
donate button I will be raising money for a veterans charity that is yet to be
determined.
It is an ambitious plan but I am a paraplegic who rows
across oceans. It seems rather normal to
me. I am open to connections made
through social media and networking to find partners or sponsors for this event
so please share my story, my contact info, have a fundraiser for my project
2013 Para Solo Row. I am open to any ideas and will appreciate any help I can
get at this point. It’s like I am in a catch 22. I don’t feel comfortable
fundraising without the boat and cannot get the boat without fundraising. Even
when I was homeless I would never put a hand or hat out. It is very uncomfortable
but this is different. This is a fantastic advertising and marketing
opportunity. Unfortunately for me anybody selling a solo ocean rowing boat will
not allow it to be shipped without payment in full. Because it has to be loaded
on a container ship it will take some time to get here. I I need to get the
boat on its way here much sooner than that in fact the sooner the better. My
only other option is to use the money I have saved and try and restore my
Rowoflife boat which is a pairs boat. That will add way more weight and size
than I need making it physically more difficult than it already is and my old
wooden pairs boat may not be safe enough for another crossing. Ocean rowing is
expensive. The more monetary support, the easier it is to get to the start and
the better prepared the boat and I can be for the crossing. I often refer to
Spanky and Our Gang when referring to the way I have had to row across oceans.
I have already sold my quiver of surfboards and cut back as much as possible
without compromising my financial ability to compete in the Paralympics in
London 2012. As a paraplegic I have always had a higher degree of difficulty
and incurred more cost in achieving the success that I have had rowing across
oceans. It is an amazing achievement and privilege to be part of a small
community of ocean rowers. I am the only woman with a disability in the world
who rows across oceans. I need some help to make this history making record
setting solo row happen. If the ocean kicks my butt, that’s one thing but if I
fail to even get to the start because I am too stubborn to ask for help, well
that’s just not acceptable. Unless choosing anonymity, contributors will be
named on the boat and recognized on the Website. The financial requirement to
get the boat is $35,000.00 plus shipping. I have 10,000.00+ shipping so I am
25,000.00 short.
To Donate-there is Pay Pal on website Rowoflife.com or send
check to Row Surf Row Inc., 3350 E. Seventh St., # 231 Long Beach, Calif.
90804.
Thanks,
Angela Madsen
Contact: Msparasurfer@aol.com
cell (562) 505-4157
