I’m taking a bit of a diversion from the normal blog topics I cover here, because I want to call attention to the efforts by a friend of mine that perfectly align with the idea of social enterprise and making a difference – ideas The Palette Project was created to serve.
Many of you are already familiar with the work being done by Katie Spotz, but for those of you who don’t know about her, let me make this virtual introduction. Katie has set a world record by being the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She’s an incredible athlete – her accomplishments include a 325 mile swim, an ultramarathon in Australia and an Ironman triathlon – ahe “words “no” or “can’t” don’t seem to be in he vocabulary. I really love her new book, Just Keep Rowing: Lessons From The atlantic From The Youngest Person To Row It Alone. It’s an exciting story with fantastic life lessons along the way.
What I admire about Katie is that she is in no way out there competing for just herself. Her organization, Row For Water, helps raise awareness and funding for accessible and potable water in underdeveloped nations, and she has dedicated her life to this cause. Her athletic accomplishments are in service of this goal, and as you know, I’m quite partial to athletic accomplishments that serve the greater good.
Katie is starting a new project this summer, and has also written a new book about her adventures, which will of course serve her larger mission. I want to relay the conversation we had about her goals and her mission.
Here are the highlights of our conversation.
Michael: Tell me about the book and why you decided to write it.
Katie: In 2010, I set the world record for the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic after 70 days alone at sea. The purpose behind my “Row for Water” was to raise funding and awareness for water projects worldwide. Since then, I have written a book called “Just Keep Rowing: Lessons from the Atlantic”. It’s a self-empowerment book with 70 life lessons that parallel the number of days I spent alone at sea rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.
I wrote these lessons years after the voyage, when I had ample time to process my life changing adventure. In fact it took five years from the time I completed the journey to compose them, and assisting me in that task was my co-author Mark Bowles. In him I found someone who perfectly mirrored and illuminated my philosophical perspectives and shared a passion for empowering those who lack the most basic requirements of life, like water. For us this book is about helping others, and proceeds assist global water projects.
Michael: What do you want people to learn from the book after reading it?
Katie: This book is a personal conversation between me and you. During my journey I learned many vital life lessons from the Atlantic. As I found out, an ocean is a great teacher of the meaning of life. I became its student, sometimes reluctantly but often enthusiastically, and I want to communicate those lessons because I believe they can be vital for everyone. From students to business executives, and to people just wanting to find new ways to live life to the fullest, these lessons from the Atlantic will help you see the world from a new perspective.
Michael: What is your current project when it comes to increasing the availability of potable water, and how are you linking it to your own athletic accomplishment?
Katie:This year I am competing in an Ironman triathlon where I’ll be pushing through 140.6 miles nonstop with a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. This year will be my third competing in Ironman and each year I commit to help at least one school gain access to clean water. My goal for this year is to raise enough funding to help build two water projects in South Africa. As part of the fundraising efforts leading up to the race, I teamed up with an awesome group called JustFaith. Last month we hosted a Walk for Water and carried water to simulate the struggle that so many people endure on a daily basis. I also gave charity rowboat rides during the event (and was the first time rowing since the Atlantic!).
Michael: As you know, this site and film also focus on social enterprise projects through both athletic accomplishment and travel with a purpose beyond tourism. Can you speak to the idea of how your travels have helped inform your mission?
Katie: One year after my “Row for Water” I had the opportunity to visit water projects in Kenya and see the results of the funds raised through previous adventures. Meeting the communities and hearing their stories first-hand has forever changed me. What struck me the most was the children. Many times they wouldn’t be able to go to school and get an education because it was their responsibility to go and collect water everyday.
That journey sparked a new initiative called Schools for Water to challenge schools in the states to help ten schools in Kenya. I’m happy to share that the schools raised more than $100,000 or enough to help 10,000 students gain access to safe drinking water. This wouldn’t have happened without the deep connections made by traveling to the projects.
Michael: Where can people go to find out more information about your current projects?
