A Leap of Faith to Ignite Inspiration
**Update June 26, 2020**
We have reached our goal! Thank you everyone for your support - this campaign is now closed! Our next target? Raise new scholarship funds to send students to United World Colleges. You can support our UWC cause here: https://www.uwc-usa.org/united_world_challenge/
Donations to the link above are managed directly by UWC-USA, and 100% of every donation goes to our UWC scholarship fund. Our goal is to raise at least $75,000 for UWC scholarships, providing a 100% ROI to the United World Challenge crowdfund.
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What dream is hidden deep inside you? How many times have you told yourself I can’t, it's not feasible, maybe later, no matter how badly it calls to you?
I’ve been there! For years, I told myself all sorts of stories about what I can and can’t do. But through ten years of endurance racing in triathlons, ultramarathons and more, I realized the hardest step of a journey is that first leap of faith - committing to doing it.
That’s why I decided to row a 23-foot boat 3,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean* by myself. This journey - the United World Challenge - is my attempt to show that with the right preparation and attitude, anything is possible, even crossing an ocean using just the power and inspiration gifted to us as human beings.
By recording and sharing this experience - from learning to row and navigate, to surviving wild ocean storms, to witnessing the humbling beauty of our world, facing and overcoming my own doubts and fears during 3 months alone at sea - through social media, talks, blogs and a film, I aim to empower dreamers of all ages to believe in themselves, take a little risk, and become their own inspiration for life.
And, because I know how inspiring and empowering it was for me to study at the United World College - an incredible experience that taught me to trust myself to take enormous leaps of faith - I am working hard to send 2 new students to UWC, paying forward the gift I received that made all this possible.
I'm giving thousands of hours and half of each of my paychecks to make this dream a reality. I formed 501(c)(3) sponsorships to offer a tax benefit for your support. My ocean rowing boat is under construction, and filming has begun. Everything is ready - all that's required is you.
I am humbly asking for your contribution toward the remaining $75,000 to complete the boat and secure key equipment for me to safely cross the ocean and share the story with you and others. Together, with me in the boat and you on our team, we will co-create a maddening and magical story to ignite inspired living around the world.
Thank you! I am so grateful for your support.
*The United World Challenge got more challenging. Discover the Pacific Pivot here.
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A LEAP OF FAITH TO IGNITE INSPIRATION: CAMPAIGN DETAILS
Where will our $75,000 go?
- Just the essentials: completing the boat and securing safety and media equipment to complete and share the journey
- As a solo rower, I want the safest ocean rowing boat available. I hired SpinDrift Rowing Company in Port Townsend, Washington to build a boat from the ground up, which I've mostly funded myself over the past year and a half. The largest portion of our funds here will go towards the boat and the rest going towards life-sustaining equipment to survive and share the story. Want the details? Scroll to the bottom for a complete list of all required equipment. 
What impact will you make? (In addition to co-creating the project!) Rewards for individual team members
FRIEND - $99: Enjoy a goal-setting and coaching session with Terence to help you reach your health and fitness goals.
PROTECTOR - $199 (or $99 in-person) Get your own award-winning, eco-designed, insulated United World Challenge Ocean Bottle (https://theoceanbottle.com/ ). Each bottle also sponsors the collection of 1000 ocean-bound plastic containers. Photo at bottom.
MESSENGER - $499: Terence will send a video from the mid-Pacific to anyone you choose to encourage them to live courageously -- and you get an Ocean Bottle.
GUIDE - $999: Terence will call a children’s classroom of your choice to talk with kids live from the mid-Pacific and encourage them to dream big -- and you get an Ocean Bottle.
TEACHER - $2,499: Terence will visit a school of your choice to inspire kids with stories from Pacific to encourage them to dream big -- plus the impact of Protector and Messenger above.
MENTOR - $4,999: Terence visits an under-privileged school to coach kids to live courageously, and to mentor two students through the UWC application process -- and you make the impact of Protector, Messenger and Guide above.
For more info on UWC, see https://unitedworldchallenge.org/uwc/
What sponsorship packages can you offer companies?
- Visit https://unitedworldchallenge.org/partner/ or contact Terence ([email redacted].
What if we don't hit our goal?
- Whether we hit our goal today or next month, your gift will help make this a success. It's not an "all or nothing campaign" - literally, everything helps.
What if we raise more?
- Donations above our target will go towards shipping, media equipment like a drone, 360-degree cameras to create immersive video, and more. Once all costs are covered, any further gifts will support our film and the United World Challenge scholarship fund to send students to UWC.
What is the full cost of the project?
- Over $175k. I'm working hard to cover the remaining costs (food, travel, shipping) through in-kind and corporate sponsorship, paying what I can from my own means, and any gifts here.
Are you working with corporate sponsors? Would you like an intro?
- Yes and yes. Some of our early sponsors are shown on www.unitedworldchallenge.org. Please send any ideas for companies that can partner financially or in-kind.
What Press have you received?
Note: press samples are prior to Pacific Pivot: https://unitedworldchallenge.org/our-pacific-pivot/
- OMNI Athlete Podcast:
www.theomniathlete.com/episode-81-Terence-Steinberg-on-Why-Increasing-Your-Ambitions-Incrementally-is-Holding-You-Back
- Deloitte.com: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/careers/articles/careers-blog-rowing-solo-across-the-atlantic.html
- London Business School: https://www.london.edu/news-and-events/news/lbs-student-plans-atlantic-solo-row-1237
- UWC: https://www.uwc.org/news/?pid=7&nid=7&storyid=3524
- Intro video:
Take Part in the Journey!
- www.youtube.com/unitedworldchallenge
- www.unitedworldchallenge.org/partner
- www.facebook.com/unitedworldchallenge
- www.instagram.com/unitedworldchallenge
- Contact me: [email redacted] or [email redacted]
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Terence Steinberg
Chief Engine Officer, United World Challenge
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The United World Challenge is a nonprofit project with fiscal sponsorship from Epoch Expeditions, a 501(c)(3) organization. Your donation may be tax deductible in the USA.
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The United World Challenge has partnered with the Ocean Bottle to reward you with a branded bottle that you can be proud to carry, as proceeds from each bottle fund the collection of 1000 ocean-bound plastic bottles, in addition to supporting the United World Challenge.
Visit https://theoceanbottle.com/ to learn more about Ocean Bottle's story. 
