"Heroic, epic, inspiring, historic." - Sir Richard Branson
Since becoming the first woman to row solo across three oceans, the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian, Roz Savage is using her life-affirming experience to inspire others. Born in Cheshire, she started rowing whilst studying for her Law degree at the University of Oxford, winning blades with the Univ Women's 1st VIII in 1988 and 89. For the first eleven years of her professional life, she worked as a management consultant in London, but one day while making her commute to work she asked herself what she really wanted. Roz made the radical decision to give up everything she had for the promise of adventure. After becoming the first woman to row solo from California to Hawaii, Roz never looked back.
From a nervous novice to one of the world’s leading female rowers, Roz’s affinity for the ocean took her to all four corners of the world across her 7-year rowing career. Sometimes spending up to five months alone at sea, thousands of miles from land, battling waves and strong currents, Roz discovered what she was capable of. Over the course of fifteen thousand miles, Roz uncovered what it truly meant to keep a cool head in the face of danger. She rose victorious over 20-foot waves, found peace in the face of life-threatening adventure and developed the courage only the ocean could surface.
With a story like Roz’s, it is no surprise that a documentary based on her Atlantic adventure, Rowing the Atlantic, was a finalist for the iconic Banff Mountain Film Festival, screened in over 30 countries. Roz has also published personal accounts of her journey in Rowing The Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean and Stop Drifting, Start Rowing, in which readers can submerge themselves in her adventures.
With her prolific academic, professional and sporting career. Roz won her first award in 2010 when she was named the Adventurer of the Year award from the National Geographic. In 2012 she was made a World Fellow at Yale University and in the following year, she was honoured with an MBE for her contribution to fundraising and environmental conservation. Roz was offered a scholarly position at Yale University, where she has lectured Courage in Theory and Practice, since 2017. In response to her achievements, Roz is recognised by 4 Guinness World Records.
At present, Roz has dedicated her life to building the confidence of those around her. By combining her life experiences with her academic and professional knowledge, Roz presents motivational workshops and corporate events for eager audiences. With her honest presenting style, Roz has taken tens of thousands of people on a figurative journey across the ocean, through her captivating stories. Having previously spoken for Google, eBay, Hershey, Disney, Kaiser Permanente, National Geographic, the Royal Geographical Society, TED and TEDx, plus various universities and corporations, Roz can confidently command the stage. She inspires audiences to redefine what is possible, motivating them to embrace their potential. From assertive leadership to a positive mindset, Roz’s topics cover all bases for achieving the best version of yourself.
