NEW YORK—Eight thousand miles, one man, one boat. No motor, no sails.
Forest Hills resident Victor Mooney hopes to make a solo, approximately eight-month rowing trip from West African nation of Senegal to the Brooklyn Bridge to convince one million Americans to get tested for HIV. With the same journey, he hopes to help provide one million sub-Saharan Africans with access to anti-retrovirus medicines, and to convince people to plant one million trees worldwide.
On Thursday, Oct. 9, Mooney kicked off a fundraising campaign on the steps of City Hall.
Currently, Mooney has raised half of the funds needed for the trip. To fill in the rest, he calls on his supporters to sign up for the Goree Challenge on his website, www.goreechallenge.com. There, users can make donations by personalizing plastic leaves to be put on the boat. “You can have your name or the name of a loved one on the side of the boat,” he said. The leaves start at $10 each.
“New Yorkers, with your support, we can save the planet and stop the spread of AIDS,” Mooney said.
Mooney has worked for several years as an AIDS activist; drawing inspiration from his loved ones. “Like many New Yorkers, I have lost one brother to the virus and I have another brother living with HIV,” he said.
Mooney once spent 48 hours on a rowing machine in Brooklyn to raise awareness about AIDS. “A couple come over to me and they said, 'Mooney, if you can sit on this machine for 48 hours, my husband and I are going to get tested right now.'”
In 2006, Mooney made a first attempt at the same trip, which was met with ample international attention. However, that trip didn't take off due to problems with his boat.
“The boat that I have this time is not like the hand-made one that I made on Pacific Street.” The bottom of that boat was found to be cracked three hours into his first transatlantic attempt. “We tried to fix it and it seemed well, and no water was coming in, but when I went out to the high seas, water just started to come in.”
This time, Mooney is going professional with his watercraft. A 24-foot long boat dubbed “The Spirit of Zayed” is in the works by Composite Yachts in Trappe, Maryland. The boat will be outfitted with a GPS system, Internet for “emailing New Yorkers,” and an iridium telephone, which works via satellite. “And to keep my sanity, I will also have my iPod with me,” said Mooney. For meals, Mooney will have military rations and “plenty of Snapple,” which sponsored $5,000 for his expedition. Other sponsors include the New York Sports Club and Harbor Sails.
Mooney has the support of major health and AIDS organizations such as UN AIDS, the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, and NYC Health.
The completion of his journey would make Mooney one of fewer than 100 people to row across the Atlantic, and the first African American to do so.
Mooney's Itinerary:
Start: December 2008
Goree Island to the Carribeans—3,000 miles, 3-4 months
The Carribeans to the Bahamas—1,000 miles, 30-45 days
The Bahamas to NYC—5,000 miles, 4 months
End of journey: July 2009
