Life is full of twists and turns that can change your trajectory when you least expect it. Safely settled in the corporate workplace, Lizzie Carr was working her way through the life that she imagined for herself.
By Kevin Majoros
Everything was going as planned, but there was an itch that she couldn’t explain. Nothing was wrong, but there was a feeling of unfulfillment. She quit her job and used her savings to embark on a ten-month journey of eco-adventuring around the world.
Her trek included hiking through the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of southwest China. She stayed with a nomadic family in Mongolia and rode horseback in search of the endangered snow leopard. Carr traveled to remote areas of Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Railway to witness the unbelievable contrasts in life. Ultimately, she spent two months campaigning for rhino protection, overlanding in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Life wasn’t quite finished with its surprises for her when she returned home to London to restart her work career.
A Health Crisis leads to an Epiphany
Three months after returning, Carr was blindsided with a Stage 2 cancer diagnosis that had spread to her lymphatic system.
“The diagnosis was a wake-up call about how I wanted to live my life,” says Carr. “I had an epiphany while I was in the hospital and put conditions on myself if I got better. I wanted to do things that were more meaningful and find value in different ways.”
Overwhelmed by uncertainty, she went back to climbing the corporate ladder at work. Her treatments had gone well, but she started having the same itch as before, this time accompanied by guilt.
“After a year back at work I couldn’t stand it anymore,” Carr says. “I didn’t want to take advantage of the opportunity I was given to fulfill the promises that I made to myself. The problem was that I didn’t have a plan.”
Stand Up Paddle Boarding turns into Environmental Activism
After quitting her job, Carr went to stay with her father and discovered stand up paddle boarding. It was low impact and good for her recovery. As she spent more time on her paddle board, she saw the problem with plastics in the waterways. She was addressing her mental and physical challenges and coming face-to-face with environmental challenges.
“I was paddling in canals in London and seeing the plastic debris firsthand,” says Carr. “I couldn’t understand why more people weren’t talking about it.”
Life had just handed Carr another twist in her lifestyle.
A 400-Mile Crusade to Raise Awareness for Plastic Pollution
To raise awareness for plastic pollution, Carr began a 400-mile journey stand up paddle boarding the length of England. She traversed connected waterways and all along the way, she photographed and collected trash. She began posting the pictures and created an interactive map.
“I was on my own little crusade and people began messaging me from all over the world,” Carr says. “It was very emotional for me when I realized that I was bringing attention to plastic pollution.”
Carr began teaching people how to stand up paddle board for free in exchange for them helping her pick up plastic in waterways. The results were tangible and Carr was feeling energized.
Setting a World Record while Collecting Water Samples
Carr built a lot of muscle memory during her paddle boarding crusade along the length of England. She felt she was ready to take her advocacy to another level by challenging herself in completely different conditions. This time she would face winds, tides, storms and a longer duration.
In May of 2017, Carr became the first woman to stand up paddle board solo across the English Channel. The journey was 24 miles and she collected water samples every four kilometers to be tested for microplastics. She partnered with Plymouth University who would be testing the levels of microplastics in the samples.
“I felt prepared and strong, both physically and mentally,” says Carr. “I wanted the exposure of my crossing to help educate people. It’s important to highlight the problems with inland plastic pollution and what it breaks down into in our open waterways.”
Crowdsourcing Data with the Plastic Patrol App
The passion that Carr feels for fighting plastic pollution has led to the launch of the #PlasticPatrol app. The campaign is about engaging people on the issue through adventure and nature.
Contributors submit photos of trash they have observed or collected and geotag it for placement on an interactive map. The data captured by contributors helps to uncover trends that can be shared with community leaders, councils and authorities. The data can be used all over the world. The goal is to help improve litter collection and removal efforts, bin placement locations and other key issues.
Carr also continues to offer free stand up paddle boarding lessons across England in exchange for picking up debris. The twists and turns in her life have brought her to a place with purpose.
“Giving people a platform to submit photos of the plastics they have observed or collected also gives them a voice,” Carr says. “This is a path to create change on a global level.”
Check out #PlasticPatrol at http://www.plasticpatrol.co.uk/
Follow Lizzie’s eco-adventuring at http://lizzieoutside.co.uk/
English Channel Crossing https://news.sky.com/video/digi-185551fr-lizzie-paddleboard-crossing-fsm2t-10884785
Spotlight on Lizzie Carr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUtGZTzrVG8
Kevin Majoros shares stories on sports, ocean adventuring and conservation. He is based in Baltimore/Washington and travels the world as a competitive swimmer.
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This piece was edited and posted onto SEVENSEAS Media by: Bharamee Thamrongmas.