The Mirpuri Foundation and Hi Fly flew in “Turn the Tide on Plastic” crew member, Frederico Melo, to participate in a team building session at Hi Fly headquarters in Lisbon.
The event commenced with an introductory speech from Hi Fly and Mirpuri Foundation President Paulo Mirpuri, who started by explaining why does the Foundation sponsors the “Turn the Tide on Plastic” boat in the Volvo Ocean Race, highlighting the importance of the message carried by the boat. He stressed the major problems caused by the contamination of plastic in our oceans and its impact on ecosystems and human health emphasizing his commitment towards actively raising awareness on this issue. According to Paulo Mirpuri, “until now, human beings believed the ocean was an inexhaustible source of food and pleasure as well as a limitless garbage dump. But the reality is that the ocean has its limits and this limits are close to be reached. We can no longer ignore the impact plastic contamination has on ecosystems as well as on human health.”
Furthermore, the President put forward some facts about the TTOP participation in the race and then handed the floor over to sailor Frederico Melo, who took the group employees on an incredible journey through the seven seas sharing his experiences aboard one of the world’s toughest sporting events.
He spoke about the challenges and difficulties felt on board, as well as the importance of teamwork and companionship. Afterwards a Q & A session on what it is like to live on the high-seas for weeks on end followed with minute details about the race, facts and curiosities.
The event was extremely interactive and there was a very positive dynamic between Frederico and participants, who had the opportunity to ask questions and better get to know the team sponsored by the Mirpuri Foundation.
The session was topped off with a light lunch that gave way to a couple more moments of interaction amongst the participants.
