This is one of the most serious and debilitating disorders of the nervous system. Knowing it impacts muscles and physical ability to do anything, we are determined as women to give our strength to this cause. Also in our social circle we come across more and more people with this disability which really brings it home.
Although research into the disease is being conducted worldwide, the cause is unknown to date. The hope for a future – with an average life expectancy of 3 to 5 years after the first symptoms – is not yet available for the 1500 Dutch patients. Due to the relatively small number of patients, the research budgets from the pharmaceutical industry and the government is next to nothing; the vast majority of scientific research into ALS in the Netherlands is therefore funded by donations to the ALS Charity in the Netherlands.
Plastic Soup Foundation
More and more plastic is floating in our oceans and seas. It comes from rubbish that we throw away on the street, fishnets that are discarded, and from washing synthetic clothing and brushing our teeth. All these different types of plastic together form the plastic soup in the seas and oceans.
The oceans constitute 72% of the earth’s surface and are our primary oxygen supply. It is the primary source of food for more than half the world’s population. But because plastic is not biodegradable, the plastic soup is lethal for many marine animals.
By rowing across the ocean we want to create awareness for this cause and be mindful of the importance of our oceans. A source of nature that will carry us in our journey.
The Charities
Rowing across the Atlantic is certainly a huge challenge and we are out to prove that we can push ourselves to the limit, both physically and mentally. Our entire row is dedicated to two great charities that mean a huge amount to us as a team; Charity ALS Netherlands and the Plastic Soup Foundation.
