World Record Conquering

Extreme kite surfer breaks world record conquering Mt. Kenya’s waters in aid of international ivory campaign.

British born Anna Campbell took it upon herself to conquer Lake Michaelson situated on Mt. Kenya, driven by the plight of Africa’s wild elephants. Anna was inspired by the work of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) who actively work at a field level in Kenya, protecting elephants from ivory poachers and hand-rearing orphaned baby elephants – the silent victims of ivory poaching.
 
‘I sometimes find motivation by putting myself in their place,’ explains Anna, ‘Imagine being randomly and viciously murdered just so ‘they’ can hack out our teeth and leave us to die in order to simply get rich’. With this in the back of her mind, she took it upon herself to kite surf across the freezing waters of the vast 4000m long lake.
 
Waiting for the right moment and patiently positioned on the surf board, the breeze soon came out of nowhere lifting Anna high into the air and across the still waters of Lake Michaelson. ‘It was a moment I shall never forget, more exhilarating than I had imagined, but most of all it proved to us that the impossible IS possible’, explains Anna.
 
The DSWT’s most recent campaign iWorry carries with it one distinctive message, ‘Say NO to ivory’ which was proudly displayed alongside Anna’s tent throughout her experience as she says, ‘I encourage everyone to try in any small way they can to put something, anything into getting the “SAY NO TO IVORY” message to China, every voice counts!’
 
Thanks to individuals like Anna, who are categorically saying NO to ivory in any form, awareness surrounding the decline of Africa’s Elephants is growing and with time running out for elephants, the urgency to make a stand is now more crucial than ever. As Founder of the DSWT, Dame Daphne Sheldrick explains, ‘Elephants as a species are today facing very grave threats. The demand for ivory has escalated in the Far East, particularly in China where the populace is becoming more opulent’.
 
African Elephants are disappearing from the wild and if poaching continues they will be extinct by 2025 and ‘not to natural causes, or as part of evolution, but viciously murdered simply for their tusks’ explains Anna. Support the campaign, speak up and add your name to the list of people saying NO to ivory at: www.iworry.org