Roz Savage MBE

Roz Savage MBE is the first (and so far only) woman to row solo across the world’s “Big Three” oceans: Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian. She holds four Guinness World Records, and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to fundraising and the environment.

It was an unexpected career move for a former management consultant who doesn’t particularly enjoy exercise. She was inspired to brave the oceans when she realised two things: 1) we are all capable of much more than we tend to believe we are, and 2) we need to make some changes if we're going to live healthy lives on a thriving planet. So she used her voyages to expand her own limits, and to promote sustainable living.

After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in law, Roz spent the first eleven years of her career working as a management consultant, braving nothing more intrepid than rush hour on the London Underground, before an environmental epiphany led to a radical personal transformation into a world class adventurer.

During the seven years of her ocean rowing career, Roz Savage had more chance than most to explore the far horizons of courage. Spending up to five months alone at sea on a 23-foot rowboat, thousands of miles from land and humanity, at the mercy of winds, waves and currents, she evolved from a nervous novice adventurer into the world's foremost female ocean rower.

While crossing a total of fifteen thousand miles of ocean she had to redefine her comfort zone on a daily basis, and reach deep into her inner sources of strength, self-discipline, and commitment to her goal. She discovered the vital importance of keeping a cool head in life-endangering situations, to optimise her capacity for smart decision-making, accurate risk assessment and creative problem-solving.

She now combines her self-taught life skills with principles from neuroscience, psychology, personal development and leadership theory, to inform and inspire corporate audiences. She has spoken to tens of thousands of people across six continents, including Google, eBay, Hershey, Disney, Kaiser Permanente, National Geographic, the Royal Geographical Society, TED and TEDx, plus numerous schools, universities and corporations.

A documentary based on her Atlantic voyage, “Rowing the Atlantic”, was screened in 32 countries as a finalist in the prestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival.

She now writes, speaks, and lectures on sustainability, courage, resilience, and change. 

TESTIMONIALS

“Heroic, epic, inspiring, historic.  Sir Richard Branson
 
"Roz is both courageous and utterly committed. She combines epic adventures with valuable education, and has inspired countless people to take responsibility for our environment."  Zac Goldsmith, MP
 
"You have created a buzz in our community and set a lot of minds, (young and old) in motion to create their own personal challenges, as well as ways that they can push the limits of human perception."  Tim Sheeper,  Team Sheeper triathlon coaching
 
"I just want to say that what you did was amazing, tough, and dangerous. You did something that not a lot of people can do. I think that you are a strong powerful woman that can do whatever they want if they put their mind to it. Just by coming to our school, I bet you inspired a lot of children to do things that they normally can't do without someone to look up to."  Peter Babekian, Kennedy Middle School, California
 
"You were spectacular! I have received so many enthusiastic responses from people in the audience in the days afterwards. They just loved your natural charm, your articulate British sense of humour, and how you actually pulled it off and lived to tell the story! Like I said, you made them come alive that evening at ExplorOcean. You made a lot of new friends in Newport Beach!"  Tom Pollack, ExplorOcean, California
 
"A captive audience of 400 adolescent boys is a very hard sell, but Roz connected in a way that most public speakers only aspire to.  Of course the story itself (and the video footage) was riveting, and her solo crossing was an extraordinary achievement, but it was Roz' warmth, humour, accessibility and authenticity that captured our hearts."   Deb Caughron, Woodberry School, Virginia
 

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