A Year of Rivers, Runs, and Resilience
Here we are… late December. It’s that time of year when we stop moving (briefly), take a deep breath, and ask: Where did we start? What did we learn? For me, 2024 has been about rivers, people, and the small acts that ripple into something bigger.
In July, I took on the Seine River Run — 800 kilometres from the river’s pristine source all the way to where it spills into the sea. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was unforgettable.
Along the way, I met people whose lives flow alongside the Seine, people who remind us that change doesn’t always come in sweeping gestures but in the simple every day things we commit to:
At the river’s source, Marie-Jeanne and Jacques quietly check water levels every morning. A simple act, but one that carries so much care.
In Paris, Sarah and Vincent paddle through the water collecting plastic in their kayaks. A little effort, every day—like brushing your teeth, but for the river.
Then there’s the Les Ourcq Polaires crew. These swimmers decided a once ‘functionally dead’ river wasn’t going to stay that way. If ever there was proof that people and water can bounce back together, this is it.
Oh, and let’s not forget the Paris Olympics, when the Seine got its moment to shine and hosted open-water swimmers for the first time in a century.
It’s been a big year globally too. The Amazon Basin dried up in ways we’ve never seen before, and catastrophic floods in Valencia reminded us how quickly water can upend lives. But amidst all that, there’s hope:
In Southern Africa, the Okavango Wilderness Project is protecting one of the world’s most beautiful (and wild) wetlands.
The largest river restoration project in American history, the removal of the Klamath River dams, has been completed ahead of schedule.
And this is worth celebrating: 50 countries are now on board with the Freshwater Challenge, committing to restoring 300,000 km of rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030.
Somewhere between all this, I managed to clock over 3,000 kilometres this year – enough to earn a few extra snacks along the way!
As we head into 2025, I won’t sugarcoat it: the road to protecting our planet’s water isn’t easy, and the finish line is nowhere in sight. But when I think about people like Marie-Jeanne, Vincent, and the Les Ourcq swimmers, I feel hopeful.
It’s a reminder that progress happens when we keep showing up – paddle by paddle, step by step, swim by swim.
Wishing you all a bright and restful start to the new year.
With love and (many) kilometres,
Mina
