Former Whanganui student puts poverty in the spotlight with 50-day extreme sailing race.
After losing sleep, weight, cleanliness and at times her mind, Alex Hare's 50-day extreme sail across the Atlantic Ocean came to a standstill in a small under-developed village on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa.
It was there the former Whanganui student was confronted with extreme poverty where druglords run the hierarchy and children live in unsafe and unclean environments.
The suffering she witnessed on the grounds of Grabouw was the very reason she embarked on two legs of Unicef's Clipper Round the World race earlier this year.
On Friday the 33-year-old returned to Whanganui to share her story.
Her tales of fronting two-storey-high waves, cleaning up her crew-mates' poo and spew, while enduring infected wisdom teeth, at times made it difficult to understand why on earth someone would partake in what seemed like pure insanity.
Ironically the challenge she described as "the most difficult endurance race in the world" changed her perspective for the better.
Ms Hare said the whole experience was levelling and she aimed to help put poverty into the light.
"Endurance is a daily perspective for some of the most vulnerable children of our world and it's not unique to South Africa ... it's happening a few blocks away."
On her last day she was fortunate enough to join seven of the crew in Grabouw.
"There I met a little 5-year-old girl in her one-bedroom shack made with newspaper, flour and water ... her horror stories had me and the guy I was with in tears and was probably the most significant part of the trip."
The 5-year-old girl Alex Hare met in Grabouw. Photo / Supplied
There's another reason Ms Hare was keen to do the challenge.
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Ms Hare continues to work with Unicef and when asked if she would do it again she said: "Within a heartbeat".
The international campaign aims to raise $725,000 which put into context will provide enough midwifery kits to help deliver 100 babies, 28,000 mosquito nets to protect families from malaria, 200,000 polio vaccines, 5000 blankets, 890 emergency water kits, emergency schooling for 40 children, 64 water pumps, 20 temporary schools and health centres for natural disasters and 1000 emergency nutrition packs.
The Clipper race, now on its 11th edition, has been divided into eight legs. Ms Hare, a novice sailor, hopped on board for the first two legs. The race is now in the fourth leg making its way to Sydney.
So far, they have raised $250,000. Ms Hare has started her own campaign and continues to work with Unicef. To donate or read more about Alex Hare's campaign visit: https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/alexsailstheatlantic
