"I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship"  - Louisa May Alcott

This year I have committed myself to facing my fears, challenging myself, living my life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity to help others do the same.

Informa have given me an amazing chance to go beyond my comfort zone by selecting me for the Informa Atlantic Challenge. In July they selected selected  me, and 11 other employees,  from our team of 30 to sail a boat 2700 nautical miles in the ARC from Gran Canaria to St Lucia. While we prepare for this journey, we are raising as much as we can for Save The Children, an organization committed to giving children in the US and worldwide the right start for a bright future.

Why am I doing something this crazy?! Good question!

Short answer: lots of reasons. First of all, Save the Children is a pretty incredible charity. Rebuilding schools and day care centers in the wake of the Oklahoma tornadoes , providing frief counseling in the weeks after Sandy Hook and providing safety, support, food, shelter, medical care, disaster relief and hope to kids in the US and 119 countries around the world, their mission is simply to give kids a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm, especially when disaster strikes. 100% of the money I raise goes directly to Save the Children and I am thrilled that my fundraising could mean a month of clean water for 305 families of four following a disaster ($5200 buys about 305 of their $17 clean water kits...that's 25 years' worth of safe drinking water!)

I'm also here because I'm kicking the fear habit. 2 years ago I lost a good friend, a brilliant, talented, funny, big-hearted twenty-something who had so much more to give the world than he got the time to share. Life is short and I don't have time to be slowed down by my self-doubt, insecurities or that little voice in my head that tells me I can't. So I'm taking this crazy adventure to challenge myself, to be braver than I think I am an dto jump into my life at the deep end (*the average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is 10,955ft: HOLY COW!). I want to live my life to the fullest and seize every opportunity to help others do the same.

As friends, family and colleagues I need your support of this fantastic charity and my own personal goal to sail across the Atlantic! Please give what you can, spread the word, set up your own local Save the Children fundraisers and share and follow my journey! Thank you!

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