Crossing For CANSA
From the 31st of March 2024, Chris Sparkes and his crew set sail from Florida, United States of America, to Barcelona, Spain. They will, however, not only be navigating the waves but also embracing a unique fitness challenge: committing to one exercise rep for every nautical mile sailed. Their hope is to raise funds for CANSA’s care and support programmes as well as to inspire a global community towards daily acts of positivity. (Due to a recent weather warning, their departure date has been moved out a few days.)
Chris shares what this journey means to him:
“I lost my mother 18 years ago, this March, to a long battle with cancer, as has several of those closest to me lost theirs. This is just my story and the more people that have heard it, the more they have expressed similar stories.
I have seen and experienced the pain and battles that many families and friends go through as they pour their love, strength, finances and everything they have into fighting cancer. I wanted to give cancer patients and their families some extra strength, support and possibly a, anonymous, hug that they may just need to keep going.
In November 2023, my crew and I on the Motor Yacht, Gladiator, crossed the Atlantic from the Mediterranean and we did a fitness challenge – 1 exercise rep for every nautical mile we sailed. We did 5500 nautical miles over 22 days and I promised myself that the next time we did it, we would make it really count.
Although the primary goal is to raise as much money as possible for CANSA, another reason is that no matter what, exercise and movement have always been my coping mechanism, my therapist, my outlet. I want anyone and everyone to experience the power that a small positive change daily can have on their lives. I really hope everyone can join on our journey and challenge starting 20 March. To get involved all one needs to do is commit to a small positive action every day for the duration of our next crossing. I believe with everything in me that something positive will come of it and that a good day turns to a good week, a good week turns to a good month, and a good month leads to a great year”.
Get your friends and family to join in the challenge and to keep up with Chris and his crew as they sail. Set a goal to finish the challenge with a donation on their GivenGain page or you donate towards their challenge: https://www.givengain.com/project/christopher-raising-funds-for-cansa-73194
Follow along on Instagram – @crossingforcansa – for updates, some fun and insights into the crew and crossing the Atlantic.
