• 8th October 2009 - By greg

    If I seem a bit reoccupied with form over function these days, I’m not
    really. Ken and I are working our butts off here trying to get the
    boat ready for Vancouver island circumnavigation and choosing a paint
    color, boat name and logo is all part of what needs to be done and it
    is important to me. Make no mistake – The number one consideration
    when selecting a color for the boat is pure function – I need to be
    easily seen when out on the ocean. This is a very important safety
    consideration. But a powerful visual impact has always been an
    important aspect of my previous record attempts and it still very much
    is with pedaltheocean.com and WiTHiN (or Koa? I’m having second
    thoughts on the name Koa, but more on that later).

    My primary goal with all of my human powered endeavours is to attract
    attention and inspire others to start thinking about using their own
    human power. Skyrocketing obesity rates are resulting in health care
    costs reaching upwards of 60 billion in the US (5.8 billion in
    Canada). The problem is our sedentary lifestyles and the solution is
    pretty simple: we need to get active again. I think what our society
    really needs these days is others out there doing really cool things
    using their own power. Unfortunately most kids today think a guy who
    drove a jet powered bicycle 100 mph is way cooler than a guy who won
    the Badwater ultramarathon. Check out YouTube for the proof.
    I really doubt that the expensive professional paint job on Critical
    Power human powered vehicle was necessary to break the 24 hour
    distance record. But it got CP and me onto a 2 page spread in popular
    Science. It also got me into the 2009 Guinness book of world records,
    and Discovery channel, and other media outlets where I have an
    opportunity to possibly inspire others to start thinking that maybe it
    is kind of cool to do something physical. The kids seem to get it and
    a solution to our health issues needs to start with our kids.

    And speaking of that – I would like to ask you to donate $50 to my
    charity and sponsor 1 mile of my 3000 mile Pacific crossing. Your $50
    will buy a brand new bike for a kid who can’t afford one. Do you
    remember your first bike? I sure do. For the 8 million families who
    are living below the poverty line, bikes for their kids are a luxury
    they can’t afford. Help me make a difference.
    It takes only a couple of clicks and any credit card:
    http://www.pedaltheocean.com/charity.php

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