World Record Row To Help Solve Ocean Plastic
Follow Tez and United World Challenge as he rows 5,000 miles from Hawaii to Australia - starting November 2023!
Each dollar stops 30 bottles worth of plastic from polluting the Pacific
The United World Challenge
A daring journey across the ocean for conservation, science and inspiration.
MISSION
Our mission is to accelerate solutions for the ocean plastic crisis and inspire a more courageous world.
Expedition
1
Monterey, California to Oahu, Hawaii
2700 miles – 71 days
Despite having no prior experience, Tez rowed alone from California to Hawaii in summer 2020, becoming the first person to ever complete the treacherous route as their first ocean row.
People who have climbed Everest
people who have walked on the moon
people who have solo rowed to hawaii
With the support of the United World Challenge team and partners, Our first expedition
Raised $76,925 for charity
Funded the collection & recycling of nearly 5,000 pounds of ocean plastic, and
Inspired thousands of people worldwide
The United World Challenge is proud to be part of the 1% for the Planet community, which connects businesses and nonprofits to protect the environment. Learn more at onepercentfortheplanet.org
MEET TEZ
My journey began with overcoming depression in college and led to me becoming the only person ever to row solo from California to Hawaii as their first ocean row.
In between, I became one of the youngest delegates to attend the World Economic Forum and earned an MBA from London Business School while running some of the UK’s longest ultra-marathons. I’ve also had my share of turbulent times. In 2016, I experienced radical loss when my father took his own life – an event which inspired me to row across an ocean. I’ve moved through changing tides as a professional, too. Navigating each challenge has propelled my drive to make the world a better place.
I believe we all have an “ocean” to cross, and the United World Challenge is my mission to inspire others to find their ocean and the courage to cross it.
Set a goal so big, you have to grow into the person who can achieve it.
The Team
The Challenge team consists of experts in storytelling and crowdfund strategy, cutting-edge marine researchers, adventure logistics gurus, and an emergency physician. We also unite a coalition of world-class media partners and expedition sponsors.
Current Sponsors
Partners
Sungai Watch is one of the world's leading cleanup organizations. They're on a mission to stop plastic from entering the ocean by cleaning rivers and developing and designing simple barrier technologies to stop plastic before it flows to sea. With over 180 river barriers installed and maintained daily, Sungai Watch has collected over 1.5 million kg of plastic as of Sept 2023. Now the United World Challenge aims to help Sungai Watch expand to new regions and help them clean the world's most polluted rivers.
OCN.AI is like a FitBit for the ocean, using technology on buoys and boats to gather cutting-edge ocean health data. Together, we're outfitting the Challenge vessel with a series of sensors to collect real-time ocean health data, stored on the blockchain for researchers worldwide to access.
The United World Challenge Expedition 2 is a zero-waste expedition thanks to our partnership with CRDC Global. All plastic waste from the our expedition will be upcycled into CRDC's groundbreaking product, RESIN8, an environmental friendly substitute for sand used in concrete manufacturing.
Seakeepers and the United World Challenge are partnering on citizen science research projects to gather data across the Pacific Ocean on population dynamics of plankton and velella velella, important species for pelagic ecosystems. Together, we research, educate, protect and restore!
Far Away Projects is a 501(c)3 nonprofit fiscal sponsorship organization that supports global social impact projects and grassroots efforts around the world. Far Away provides the United World Challenge with nonprofit status and extensive backend support to grow our mission to help solve ocean plastic.
The United World Challenge is proud to be part of the 1% for the Planet community, which connects businesses and nonprofits to protect the environment. Learn more at onepercentfortheplanet.org
During Expedition 1, the United World Challenge partnered with Scripps Institution of Oceanography to gather world-first data for microplastic research. The United World Challenge will once again partner with Scripps to advance oceanic research during the next challenge with a series of world-first data collection methods.
The United World Challenge has partnered with Only One, a digital action platform for people who love the ocean and want to save the planet. By partnering with Only One, we will raise the profile of global action campaigns to advance the Global Plastics Treaty and other powerful movements for upstream solutions to the plastic crisis.
The Ocean Is Our Planet’s Life Support System
After completing Expedition 1, I couldn't forget all the plastic I saw at sea. Such a pristine environment, yet filled with trash from around the world. I started asking myself, what's next? What’s a goal so big that I have to grow into the person who can achieve it? A goal so big, it inspires others to grow with me?
What's next for the United World Challenge?
It's not just about completing another daring expedition, but to do so in a way that brings researchers, companies, and storytellers together to create tangible results for the ocean by:
- Accelerating the most promising solutions to solve the ocean plastics crisis
- Advancing the most promising scientific research on ocean health
- Inspiring people everywhere to feel connected to the oceans and get involved
There will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2048, unless we act now. The good news? Effective, low-cost solutions exist. We just need to scale them to the most plastic-polluting regions.
The next United World Challenge will accelerate today’s most promising solutions to solve the ocean plastic crisis. Together, we will turn the tide and stop the flow of plastics into our oceans.
Interested in getting involved with Expedition 2?
Sponsorship is more than just a good story. It’s about pursuing a vision greater than the sum of the parts. It’s about making impact neither partner could achieve alone.
In short, it’s about crossing oceans together.
