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- ♦ Betsy McCallon, Deputy Director of the WRA Global Secretariat, Blogs from the Global Maternal Health Conference in India
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July 28, 2010BBC News Features Charlie Wittmack as He Launches the World Triathlon Swimming the Thames
Click here to view the BBC coverage.
Over eleven months, American explorer and adventurer, Charlie Wittmack, will cross thirteen countries while encountering the most treacherous conditions imaginable. The expedition begins with a 275-mile swim down the River Thames in England to the icy North Atlantic Sea and across the English Channel to France. From France, the expedition continues with a 9,000-mile bicycle ride across Europe and Asia, passing over many of the world’s most rugged and remote mountain ranges, and crossing hundreds of miles of barren sand desert, before climbing over the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean and Calcutta. The triathlon concludes with a super-ultra 950-mile run from sea level at the Bay of Bengal, up into the Himalayas, to the top of the world and the summit of Mount Everest.
For Charlie Wittmack, the World Tri is more than a personal expedition. It is an opportunity to connect people around the world and to make a difference. Charlie has partnered with the White Ribbon Alliance and Safe Motherhood Network Federation Nepal (SMNF) to raise awareness and support for maternal health throughout his journey. When the World Tri team reaches Nepal, they will travel with SMNF through rural Nepal to educate women and girls about family planning, antenatal care, maternal health and safe delivery practices.
"Mother's lives are saved when women and their families know about and can access the full continuum of quality health services before, during and after childbirth," says Theresa Shaver, White Ribbon Alliance President and Executive Director. "We welcome the opportunity to raise awareness of maternal health issues - especially birth preparedness and complication readiness - and to join with The World Tri and the Safe Motherhood Network Federation Nepal to mobilize community voices advocating for changes to connect every woman with lifesaving care."