Green Gladiator of the Week: Marcos Diaz

Hello and Happy Friday!!

This week's Green Gladiator is actually an athlete that I knew nothing until this week. I've been very interested in the UN's Millennium Development Goal's and how sports are playing a huge role in helping ensure they are achieved. This summer offered an unprecedented opportunity with the World Cup in Africa and many athletes, teams and organizations utilized the powerful, international platform to raise awareness for the MDG's.

Last night I came across one athlete who dove head first into the water (literally!) to bring global attention to the Millennium Development Goals. He is a true gladiator who realizes the power he has as an athlete to help save our planet. This week's Green Gladiator, and one of my new favorite athletes, is Marcos Diaz!

Diaz is a long distance open water swimmer from the Dominican Republic who works with environmental organizations like Reef Check DR to preserve his country's coastal eco-systems. In addition to his environmental work for his country, he is also committed to helping the UN reach all of their MDG's by 2015, especially ensuring environmental sustainability!

To raise awareness and to urge people to act and demand that our leaders deliver their promises by 2015, Marcos has embarked on a truly remarkable journey. Swim Across the Continents is Diaz's way of helping the UN achieve their Millennium Development Goals.

He is currently swimming across 5 continents to unite people from around the world by showing we really aren't that far apart. He hopes his swim will "inspire us all to take a new look at our planet, to stand up and act to make a real difference, and to demand real political change for humanity."

He has definitely inspired me and I hope he has done the same for you.

Here's a great video I found that focuses on the environmental sustainability MDG and Diaz's swim.



Congratulations to our amazing Green Gladiator of the Week, Marcos Diaz!! And just in case you're interested, he has already completed the swim from Australia to Asia and the swim from Asia to Africa. He's currently swimming from Africa to Europe and is due to arrive in Tenerife, Spain any day! Way to go Marcos!!