First solo female to stand up paddleboard across the English Channel,
driving the #PlasticPatrol campaign
Craghoppers Ambassador, Lizzie Carr is attempting to become the first female to stand up paddleboard (SUP) across the English Channel, solo and on an inflatable paddle board and will be starting her epic journey in the next couple of weeks – weather permitting.
Last year Lizzie was the first person in history to paddleboard the entire 400-mile length of England’s waterways – solo and unsupported. Some of the Craghoppers team were on hand to feed Lizzie flapjack along the way!
The channel crossing – 24 miles from Dungeness to Boulonge – will take approximately 9 hours of solid paddleboarding and will see Lizzie negotiating the busiest shipping lanes in the world as well as coping with the very unpredictable nature of the ocean with its tides, currents, swell and winds.
Paddle board for change
As well as a huge test of endurance and strength, Lizzie is using the challenge to drive her Plastic Patrol initiative with the goal to remove as much plastic from our inland waterways and coastlines by the end of 2017.
A staggering 80% of marine debris comes from inland sources and Lizzie will be using her channel crossing to highlight the global plastic crisis we are facing. She will be collecting water samples for micro plastic analysis along the way and every four miles will be capturing samples using a trawler net; the rest of the time plotting and mapping the bigger pieces to add to the existing map https://lizzieoutside.co.uk
Lobbying for change
Fighting against the millions of tonnes of plastic that enters our oceans annually is no easy task, but modern day environmentalist Lizzie Carr is looking to tackle the issue from the root of its problem and then lobby the powers that be – through detailed research and analysis – to identify trends, hot spots and pressure points that will allow us to make real and immediate change. In the UK alone we spend more than 1 billion pounds a year combating litter and plastic pollution.
Everyone is invited to join the campaign
From June, Lizzie will be asking the people of the UK to join her in her nationwide #PlasticPatrol campaign and she will be staging a series of stand up paddle boarding clean ups https://www.plasticpatrol.c
To coincide with this, Lizzie will be launching the free #PlasticPatrol App (available on android and IOS) for people to plot plastic they find to paint a picture of problem areas and where resource is needed for clean ups. And it’s a global app so people can share findings from all over the world. All the results will then be populated on the first and only global interactive mapping system for plastic pollution. https://www.plasticp
Pushing back the boundaries
Lizzie, commenting on her mammoth voyage: “I am nervous about the challenge. I’ve been training hard but crossing will be unpredictable and although you can plan as best possible some things will be out of our hands. Conditions at the moment are too dangerous to cross but this gives me more time to train and prepare, which is always welcome!
“It’s so important to get the message out there about plastic pollution, and although this will be tough knowing I have so much support and goodwill will really help push me.”
Follow Lizzie’s challenge here!
New blog • Making final preparations ahead of my most ambitious challenge yet. ???????????????? https://t.co/yL6NEL64sj pic.twitter.com/hBLKn97BYK
— Lizzie Outside (@Lizzo010) May 7, 2017