Company: Lisa Blair, Sydney, Lisa Blair Sails the World, Warriewood, NSW Australia
Company Description: Lisa is the first woman in history to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around Antarctica on her yacht, Climate Action Now, and holds eight world records. Best selling author, speaker and environmentalist, Lisa delivers a powerful message that taking care of the environment cannot wait, we need to take action now.
Nomination Category: Sustainability Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Climate Hero of the Year
 Nomination Title: Lisa Blair Sails The World - Climate Action Now
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2022 of the nominated individual, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are providing written answers to the questions, provide them in the appropriate spaces below:
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 200 words used.
Lisa fell in love with sailing in 2005 and just 7 years later in 2017, made history by becoming the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica with one stop after surviving a dramatic dismasting at sea, demonstrating her resilience and determination. An extraordinary feat aboard her yacht named Climate Action Now.
Over the years, along with the more aggressive and less predictable storms she endured whilst ocean racing, she also noticed the absence of wild life when years earlier those seas were brimming with life. She also experienced the increased risk of collision with ice as the glaciers keep melting. She began conducting research whilst sailing single-handed, setting and breaking records, into the presence of micro-plastics and has provided vital data to universities, showing that plastics exist in every part of the ocean.
She knows firsthand that action needs to be taken and a greater awareness needs to be reached now. Unfortunately many believe there is little they can do to effect real environmental change, leaving the issue to others to fix.
Lisa has effectively combined captivating sailing adventures and achieving world records which are incredibly watchable, with environmental research and reporting, that educates and activates a wider audience.
- Outline the individual's achievements since July 1 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
Lisa created CLIMATE ACTION NOW, not to focus on the problem but to highlight the actions individuals can take to be a solution by utilising the power of ‘note’ sharing. On each note an individual adds an action that they are already taking towards a better future to build positive momentum and behavioural change.
Her yacht, “Climate Action Now” is colourfully coated in imagery representing the thousands of post-it notes created in commitment to take better care of the environment.
During every record-setting journey, Lisa seizes the opportunity to amplify her message, gaining massive media attention and collaborating with a number of scientific organisations including Bureau of Meteorology, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and the Seabed 2030 project.
Her commitment to ocean health was evident as she deployed eight weather drifter buoys, one A.R.G.O research float, collected round-the-clock ocean health readings, and gathered over 180 microplastic samples, while braving the perils of the world's most treacherous ocean for an astounding 92 days.
Through her partnership with Ocean Ops, Lisa's expedition earned recognition as a United Nations Decade of Ocean Science initiative.
Critics have called her feature film “Ice Maiden” touring nationwide with international screenings booked “Not just a stunning portrait of an incredible woman, Ice Maiden is also an inspiring call to arms for climate and societal change.”
Her mission is to deliver a very strong message which will receive a high level of media attention and create meaningful conversations around climate action now.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 200 words used.
Lisa led the first all-female team to compete in the 2017 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in 16 years. She set two more world records in December of 2018, sailing solo, non-stop and unassisted around Australia, spending 58 days at sea, all while sleeping for no more than 20 minutes at a time. A leader in diversity and inclusion, she knew she had even more to offer the world.
In 2019, she raced her yacht Climate Action Now in the Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race with co-skipper Jackie Parry becoming the first double-handed female team to finish in the history of the race.
On May 25th 2022, she became the fastest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around Antarctica, shaving 10 days off the previous record.
In 2024 she broke two records sailing solo and unassisted from Sydney to Auckland New Zealand, and then circumnavigating NZ.
Lisa has sailed over 110,000 nm and holds an RYA Yacht Master offshore. Lisa is a proud Australian adventurer, Author of Facing Fear, and Speaker on Resilience and Mental Agility.
The attached support document outlines Lisa’s endeavours in raising awareness that environmental action needs to happen now, we simply cannot wait.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or the individual's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 240 words used.
Lisa pushed the sailing boundaries for women and delivered on her Climate Action Now message when she took on the extremes of the violent Southern Ocean in 2022. Overcoming a life-threatening dismasting, she developed and applied her life and work principles for Navigating to Success, leading her to triumph through the storms, becoming the fastest person in the world to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around Antarctica, securing massive media coverage.
She has since continued to break records and is using her love of sailing to not only break barriers for women in the sport but primarily to create a wave of awareness and increased education about the state of our oceans and what each and every individual can do to make positive change.
Her vehicle as a climate hero is the brightly decorated yacht which garners attention wherever she sails. She has cleverly leveraged her adventures and storytelling to captivate audiences all over the world, educating them as she sails, and bringing attention to what they can do in their everyday lives to make a difference.
As a passionate Climate Activist, she continues to develop projects that allow her to make a bigger impact including her feature film which critics have claimed is “not just a stunning portrait of an incredible woman, Ice Maiden is also an inspiring call to arms for climate and societal change.” Her work is inspiring future generations to take on Climate Action Now.
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