AN Essex police officer is poised to break a world record in order to raise awareness about plastic pollution.<\/p>\n
PC Dawn Wood will attempt to row an incredible 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, aiming to raise \u00a325,000 for the Marine Conservation Society in the process.<\/p>\n
Not content with just raising money for the society, Dawn has also been visiting schools in her free time to educate children about plastic pollution and the effects it is having on marine life.<\/p>\n
Dawn, said: \u201cI\u2019m trying to break the world record, I\u2019m trying to raise awareness about plastic pollution and I\u2019m trying to inspire others as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not an athlete, I was never an academic but I\u2019ve found something that I\u2019m good at and I want to work hard to achieve something. If I can achieve the world record that would be great and if I can achieve just getting across, that is still an amazing achievement.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Dawn is to achieve the world record, she will need to surpass Kiko Matthews\u2019s effort, who completed the journey in 49 days. Upon completion she will become just the seventh woman in the world to have completed the crossing.<\/p>\n
However, Dawn is no stranger to the water as a Marine Unit skipper with 16 years\u2019 experience on the team during her 22-year policing career.<\/p>\n
The Essex officer will begin her mammoth row on January 4th<\/sup> and says that she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received so far.<\/p>\n One of her friends got in touch with Ben Fogle to send a message of support as a fellow rower who himself rowed the Atlantic Ocean.<\/p>\n \u201cHe sent me a really nice video message,\u201d Dawn says, \u201cHonestly, I really couldn\u2019t do this without all the support I\u2019ve been getting from around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n You can support Dawn, find out more about her expedition, and track her progress through her webpage: www.rowaurora.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"