Mark Fuhrmann
Canadian born native of Norway Mark Fuhrmann is kayaking 5,600km from Oslo to Athens on his own, without support, without places to stay, relying solely on the kindness of strangers to get by.
Fuhrmann’s epic journey is for The Piece Prize. This is his own initiative to promote positive human values, integration and community. The 59 year old father of three is working with schools and organizations in cities all along his route to identify and reward ‘silent heroes’ – giving them a monetary award and putting good news on local media agendas continent-wide.
It is, he explains, a way to remind us that we can all make a difference:
“Silent heroes are people who contribute to their local society without looking for anything in return. They just want to help. People that care for their neighbours, regardless of colour, religion and nationality, but simply because they’re people.
“They recognise that we’re all a piece of a puzzle,” he continues, “and that puzzle will fall apart if we don’t try and fit together.”
Fuhrmann is began his odyssey from Oslo Opera House on April 1. The amateur kayaker is deadly serious about the seven-month endeavour; planning to paddle roughly 40 – 50 km a day, on sea and inland waterways, stopping in at major urban centers such as Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Paris Venice and Split.
“By shining the spotlight on local individuals that are doing good, and promoting a message of integration and peace through positive campaigns, we can smash this veneer of negativity and remind people that the world is not a dark place. Each stop and award will make a small splash and perhaps inspire others to do good, creating a ripple effect that will hopefully travel much further than I will.”
You can follow Mark’s progress on:
https://www.thepieceprize.com/piece-prize-blog/
