We are incredibly excited to announce that with the help of our amazing sponsors, dryrobe®, 79 Group and Ninety One, we are now under the new ownership of local environmental charity Plastic Free North Devon, meaning 100% of profits from both the Croyde Ocean Triathlon and sister event Exmoor Open Water Swim will now go to charity.
We will continue to build on our events’ existing record for working towards having a positive environmental impact, as well as continuing to foster a welcoming community for locals and visitors alike.
The Plastic Free North Devon team has already been closely involved with since its inception. Lyn Strahan, one of the charity trustees, founded the event in 2015, alongside Mike Morris, before she passed the baton onto the fabulous Pete Wright. By 2018, the charity had helped us gain the accolade of being the first ‘Plastic Free Sports Event’ of its kind by Surfers Against Sewage, thanks to innovative solutions such as the provision of a bespoke water bar, built by another of the charity’s trustees Andy Clee, to eliminate single use plastic bottles.
Jo Hibberd, Event Director, shares her vision for how the Triathlon will continue:
“We’re really proud of these events and the community that’s been built. The Croyde Ocean Triathlon is recognised as one of the most challenging and scenic, and has previously been named as the third toughest Olympic distance triathlon in the world by 220 Triathlon. Plastic Free North Devon has been instrumental as part of our journey, and we’re proud to continue to rise to the challenge of environmental sustainability alongside the physical and mental endurance challenge of the event itself. It’s all about pushing ourselves to be the best that we can be, on a personal level and as a community.”
Jo Hibberd, Croyde Ocean Triathlon Event Director
Claire Moodie, the charity’s CEO elaborates:
“As a charity, we work by the principle that people protect what they love. Events like this really connect people with the stunning landscape we are lucky enough to call home, and are an important way to foster that connection and to get people engaged in protecting what we have, for future generations and for the health of our planet. We have an incredible community here in North Devon, and these events are part of that tapestry. Bringing different people, organisations, and charities together in the magical outdoors, amongst some of the most stunning scenery in the South West to deliver highly professional, sustainable events is a legacy we intend to build on.”
Claire Moodie, Plastic Free North Devon CEO
The main sponsor for both events is North Devon based dryrobe®, a company on a mission to inspire, enable, and improve the experience of an active outdoor lifestyle for everyone, and whose recent B Corporation™ certification reflects their ongoing commitment to building a sustainable business with environmental protection at its core. Ninety One and 79 Group are also event sponsors, and event organisers are on the lookout for two more sponsors to come on board in the coming months – please contact Jo Hibberd on [email protected] if you are interested in getting involved.
Tickets are available for the Croyde Ocean Triathlon from Wednesday 1st February at croydeocean.co.uk and you can enter the Exmoor Swim at exmoorswim.co.uk. Previous events have sold out, so register ASAP to secure your place. If you’re interested in raising money through sponsorship for Plastic Free North Devon or other local charity partners, please get in touch on [email protected], there are a limited amount of spaces available.
