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March 12, 2010 | |||||||
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 Passion in the Wind February 22, 2001 With the possible exception of high-alpine mountaineering or the Tour de France, sailing the high seas might be the most improbable of human pursuits. What could possibly make enduring intense weather, heart-stopping seas, and extended solitude worth it? NEW Reader Responses are a goodthing! Follow along by clicking here. Contribute your thoughts in the "Passion in the Wind" conversation below. Dear readers, My brother Todd once e-mailed me via satellite from a 41-foot sailboat somewhere near the Azores that he felt as though a human being afloat amidst 60-foot swells was up against odds that would paralyze even the most hardened gambler, but that nothing could dim his passion for what he was doing. Passion, indeed. Passion for challenge; passion for overcoming fear; passion for the unknown, for surprise; passion for the elements, for wind, for water, for nature; passion for speed; passion for human triumph in near-impossible circumstances. This week, I contemplated the news that Britain's Ellen MacArthur had -- at 24 -- become the youngest woman to ever sail around the world alone. As if that weren't enough, though, she was also the fastest, finishing second in the Vendee Globe yacht race. Her passion struck me. Sailing was no longer simply the way that she spent her time, the way that she started her conversations, the thing she dreamed about. It had become her own personal Oregon Trail, her Everest, her South Pole. In circumnavigating the planet, she had become a pioneer and a role model. She had become an example of what people and, significantly, what women could accomplish. Passion can be the catalyst for making a difference. Consider the case of Craig McCaw, an entrepreneur whose companies have been groundbreakers in telecommunications. He has announced his plans to mount an American challenge in the 2003 America's Cup, sailing's transcendent top prize currently held by New Zealand. It's not his so-called One World Challenge, though, that is newsworthy. A longtime supporter of efforts to conserve the world's oceans and its wildlife (most notably in liberating the Orca whale featured in the film "Free Willy"), McCaw and other underwriters will fund the One World Challenge out of pocket in order to dedicate the effort's corporate sponsorships to worldwide ocean conservation. McCaw is using one passion to foster awareness of another. As he told on-line sailing magazine, Scuttlebutt: "The oceans literally determine those who bask in blue skies and prosperity and those who will die from famine, flood, and hurricane. It affects Africa, America, and everywhere in between. It is an issue affecting both rich and poor alike." The One World Challenge will likely raise millions to protect the earth's threatened oceans. Certainly, McCaw's is an extraordinary case. But everyday, people are becoming small-scale Craig McCaws and Ellen MacArthurs. Think of all the people who are running or biking or swimming for a reason. Or the reverse: think of all the people who are motivated by their passions for loved ones or for important social issues to run, walk, bike, or swim further than they ever might have. I remember a friend of mine -- not exactly a world-class athlete -- whose personal passion for her mother, a victim of breast cancer, turned her into an obsessed fund-raiser for cancer research and inspired her to complete not only a marathon, but also a three-day, 60-mile charity walk. She elevated her passion to a level that not only surprised her, but made a difference and inspired others to take similar leaps. Too often, making a difference seems to mean deep personal sacrifices, leaving us wishing we had a better option or an excuse to do something else. But why not connect passion with purpose? Sail or walk for a reason. Turn a passion for children into a career in teaching. Sign up to go running with a shelter dog. Consider doing something for yourself in order to do something for others. Be selfish to be selfless. Cheers, Wood Turner (e-mail Wood) Seattle, WA Check out a few of Wood's favorite goodthings. TALK ABOUT IT What have you done passionately? Tell us about it. LEARN ABOUT IT More from Quokka on Ellen MacArthur's sail around the world. More from Scuttlebutt on Craig McCaw's One World Challenge. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT Find out how you can elevate your passion by doing the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk or an AIDS Vaccine Ride. Or do a Team-in-Training marathon for leukemia and lymphoma research. Or find a run for your favorite charity close to where you live or somewhere you'd like to go. BONUS: GOOD GRAVY Read more about how passion and sailing can be intertwined. Alfred Lansing's "Endurance" is the incredible story of Ernest Shackleton's failed attempt to reach the South Pole in 1914. A huge wooden sailboat factors into the tale as does human perseverance and undying commitment. Buy your copy. Might we pass you a little more good gravy? Read an article on a modern-day "redo" of the Shackleton voyage. Click here for Mountainzone.com. Readers Respond Want to share your thoughts or ideas with other people who care about good things? Send 'em our way. Dear goodthings, I am walking the Avon 3-Day Walk for the Cure in Seattle to support my grandmother, who has recently survived breast cancer but now has ovarian cancer. Her unflagging positive attitude, the strides she's made from high school dropout to educated daycare provider have always inspired me, so I figured that raising money for a cure was the least I could do. It'll be a challenge for me as I have Crohn's Disease, but I feel it's necessary, both for her and for women's health in general. It's also motivated me to put up my own Web site for the cause: http://www.pledgepage.com/Oddangel. On it I'll keep all my contributors informed of my progress so they can truly see their support at work. Annette Young Seattle |
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