Doug Woodring

From Openwaterpedia
Doug Woodring, inductee (Honor Administrator) of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Class of 2020
Doug Woodring, 2011, 2012 and 2013 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee for his work in the open water swimming and environmental fields
Plasticity Forum, founded by Doug Woodring
Doug Woodring, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Ocean Recovery Alliance and the Plasticity Forum
Doug Woodring, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Ocean Recovery Alliance
Doug Woodring (on right) with trisolothon competitors in the Sheko Challenge in Hong Kong
Singha Chau with The Five race director Doug Woodring at the World Open Water Swimming Series event in Hong Kong
Doug Woodring's Global Alert Platform was nominated for the 2016 WOWSA Awards, a recognition of outstanding men, women, performances and offerings around the globe sponsored by the World Open Water Swimming Association in the category of World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year

Douglas Woodring is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Ocean Recovery Alliance and Open Water Asia and is an inductee (Honor Administrator) of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Class of 2020, with an MBA from The Wharton School, and a Masters in International Relations and Environmental Economics from Johns Hopkins (SAIS). He has an undergraduate degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley and is an open water swimmer, water polo player and international outrigger canoe competitor.

Woodring has worked in Asia for over 25 years in a number of industries which have been at the forefront of technology within their sectors, mainly related to the environment and new media platforms. Prior to working with technology start-ups, while at Merrill Lynch Asset Management Hong Kong in 1998, he proposed the company’s first global environmental technology fund which was later launched in 2001. He started his career in Japan, working for one of the largest fishing companies in the world, which is partly where his drive for ocean protection originates.

Environmental Career Highlights

2012 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nomination

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Woodring was nominated for the 2012 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year award. His World Open Water Swimming Association nomination reads,

Day in and day out, Doug Woodring works tirelessly to bring the world’s attention to the plasticity of the world’s oceans. His open water events are the greenest in the world with their carbon-neutral options and biodegradable products. His projects, run under his NGO, Ocean Recovery Alliance, include the Plastic Disclosure Project and Global Alert – Floating Trash, reach global political leaders and an increasing number of citizens in a number of countries. He is a man of the sea, but he deals with the growing menace of ocean plasticity by going upstream and offering practical solutions that can be reasonably implement by individuals, corporations and governments. For his unwavering focus on a global issue with specific solutions, for his tying together open water swimming with the environmental problems of contemporary times, Doug Woodring is a worthy nominee for the 2012 WOWSA Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.

Plastic Disclosure Project

Woodring founded the Plastic Disclosure Project at the Clinton Global Initiative as a way to bring about large scale prevention of plastic waste. This is an investor and multi-stakeholder driven program to encourage companies and other institutions to measure their plastic footprint and develop plastic management strategies to create a world where plastic adds value to businesses without negatively impacting the environment.

Approach

The approach is simple: an annual disclosure request is sent on behalf of socially responsible investors and other community stakeholders to companies around the world that are users of plastic in their products or services, asking them to measure their plastic footprint. The goal is to inspire improved strategies for lessening plastic's impact on the environment, managing the material in more efficient ways, and treating it as a resource instead of a waste product. This includes less waste in the supply chain, more recycling within one's user-base, more recycled content, new design, and the use of new materials.

2014-2015 World Open Water Swimming Series Events

1. aQuellé Midmar Mile in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in February. Race director Wayne Riddin
2. Miami Mile in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. in April. Race director Jonathan Strauss
3. El Cruce in Cancún, Mexico in May. Race director Rafael Hernández
4. Jax Coco Shek O Challenge in Hong Kong in July. Race director Doug Woodring
5. Henley Mile in Henley-on-the-Thames, United Kingdom in July. Race director Tom Kean
6. Hellespont and Dardanelles Swim in Turkey in August. Race director Simon Murie
7. Aichi Crossing in Nagoya, Japan in August. Race director Yutaka Shinozaki
8. BCT Gdynia Marathon – Open Race in Gdynia, Poland in August. Race director Tomasz Pąchalski
9. Waikiki Roughwater Swim in Oahu, Hawaii in September. Race director Kaia Hedlund
10. Swim The Island in Italy in October. Race director Matteo Testa
11. The Five in Hong Kong in October. Race director Doug Woodring
12. King and Queen of the Sea in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in December. Race director Pedro Rego Monteiro
13. Stroke for Egypt in the Red Sea, Egypt in December. Race coordinator Mohamed Marouf

2015-2016 World Open Water Swimming Series

Woodring is one of the race directors of the 2015-2016 World Open Water Swimming Series (WOWSS), a global series of open water swimming competitions. FINIS and Ocean Recovery Alliance present the global open water swimming, a 17-race series spans Africa, North America, South America, Asia and Europe and includes some of the world’s most innovative, enjoyable, beautiful and signature open water swimming competitions.

1. Cold Half Extreme Marathon Swim in Hong Kong. Race director Doug Woodring
2. aQuellé Midmar Mile in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in February. Race director Wayne Riddin
3. Miami Mile in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. in April. Race director Jonathan Strauss
4. El Cruce in Cancún, Mexico in May. Race director Rafael Hernández
5. Swim Challenge Cascais in Cascais, Portugal. Race director Jorge Paulo Pereira
6. Jax Coco Shek O Challenge in Hong Kong in July. Race director Doug Woodring
7. Henley Mile in Henley-on-the-Thames, United Kingdom in July. Race director Tom Kean
8. Vibes & Scribes Lee Swim in Cork, Ireland in July. Race director Joe Donnelly
9. Hellespont and Dardanelles Swim in Turkey in August. Race director Simon Murie
10. BCT Gdynia Marathon – Open Race in Gdynia, Poland in August. Race director Tomasz Pąchalski
11. Waikiki Roughwater Swim in Oahu, Hawaii in September. Race director Kaia Hedlund
12. International Masters Open Water Swim in Shizuoka, Japan in September. Race director Yutaka Shinozaki
13. Cruce Aguas Abiertas Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica in September. Race director Joe Bernini
14. Swim The Island in Italy in October. Race director Matteo Testa
15. The Five in Hong Kong in October. Race director Doug Woodring
16. King and Queen of the Sea in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in December. Race director Pedro Rego Monteiro
17. Stroke for Egypt in the Red Sea, Egypt in December. Race coordinator Mohamed Marouf

Videos











Global Alert Platform


The Global Alert Platform was nominated for the 2016 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year by the World Open Water Swimming Association in the World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year category:

Doug Woodring found himself surrounded by discarded plastics and rubbish while diving in a remote marine protected area. He was struck by the need to improve the world's ocean for future generations. He created the NGO, Ocean Recovery Alliance, and recently launched the Global Alert Platform, an innovative, online tool that allows people to report, rate and map plastic pollution levels in their local watersheds or coastlines via their mobile devices and computers. For creating a platform and database to help broaden public awareness about the plastic crises anywhere in the world that negatively affects the health of our waters, for managing a global flow of information that can spur solutions to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean, rivers and lakes, for enabling people to report problems and generate data on trash-hotspots via an easy-to-use mobile monitoring tool and online maps, the Global Alert Platform is a worthy nominee for the 2016 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.

2015 Clean Half Extreme Marathon Swim, Hong Kong

Video of Human Aerial Art in 2013

Schoolchildren in Repulse Bay Beach in Hong Kong create human aerial art in an event organized by Doug Woodring.

Greatest Watermen in Open Water Swimming History

Wording was named as one of the Greatest Watermen in Open Water Swimming History by the World Open Water Swimming Association in 2015:

1. Zacharias Alexandrakis (Macedonia): Marathon swimming enthusiast, open water swimming promoter, lifeguard, swimming coach and lifesaving leader.
2. Antonio Argüelles Díaz-González (Mexico): Triathlete, ultra-endurance athlete, channel swimmer and author
3. Stathis Avramidis, Ph.D. (Greece): Researcher, swimmer, author, speaker, and lecturer
4. Peter Bales (South Africa): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, governing body administrator and escort pilot
5. Vito Bialla (U.S.A.): Extreme relay swimmer, professional sailor, and escort pilot of the Farallon Islands, California
6. Paul Blackbeard (South Africa): World-class pool swimmer, ocean swimmer, and life saver
7. Lord Byron (Great Britain): Poet, author and pioneering sea swimmer
8. Dick Campion (Australia): Olympian, coach, trainer, author, promoter, and professional marathon swimmer
9. Daniel Eulogio Carpio Massioti (Peru): Four-time Olympian, Channel swimmer, professional racer, and solo swimmer
10. Bruckner Chase (U.S.A.): marathon swimmer, ocean advocate, ambassador to the disabled, filmmaker, paddler and surf lifesaver
11. Buster Crabbe (U.S.A.): Olympic champion, ice swimmer, promoter, and movie star of 3 pulp fiction heroes
12. Guy Delage (France): Ocean swimmer, extreme adventurer, diver, submariner, and sailor
13. Marcos Díaz (Dominican Republic): Marathon racer, extreme swimmer, surfer, governing body administrator, and event director
14. Shannon Eckstein (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
15. Ian Emberson (Kauai, U.S.A.): Channel swimmer, original Ironman triathlete, ocean swimmer, event director, and triathlete
16. George Freeth (Hawai, U.S.A.): Ocean swimmer, surfer, paddler, and lifesaver organizer
17. Alfréd Hajós (Hungary): Olympic champion, professional racer, and architect
18. Trevor Hendy (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
19. Colin Hill (Great Britain): Ice swimmer, Channel swimmer, television commentator, and event director
20. Craig Hummer (U.S.A.): Competitive swimmer, kayaker, paddler, Ironman lifesaver, and Olympic television commentator
21. Ky Hurst (Australia): Ocean swimmer, two-time Olympian, body surfer extraordinaire, and champion life saver
22. Zhang Jian (China): Marathon swimmer, Channel swimmer, ice swimmer and university sports director
23. Captain Tim Johnson (U.S.A.): Marathon swimmer, author, professor, shark cage designer, analyst, and historian
24. Duke Kahanamoku (Hawaii): Ocean swimmer, Olympic champion, surfing legend and ambassador of aloha
25. Grant Kenny (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
26. Guy Leech (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
27. Luiz Eduardo Carneiro da Silva de Souza Lima (Brazil): Two-time Olympian, stand-up paddler, ocean swimming coach, pioneering ocean swimmer and promoter
28. Pádraig Mallon (Ireland): Marathon swimmer, Channel swimmer, ice swimmer, event organizer, promoter and triathlete
29. Vojislav Mijić (Serbia): Marathon swimmer, professional racer, solo pioneer and event organizer
30. Masayuki Moriya (Japan): Coach, channel swimmer, event organizer, clinician, and governing body administrator
31. Keo Nakama (Hawaii/U.S.A.): World champion, world record holder, pioneering ocean swimmer, event organizer and coach
32. Aaron Peirsol (U.S.A.): 7-time Olympic medalist, surfer, lifeguard, coach, and body surfer extraordinaire
33. Lewis Pugh (Great Britain): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, ocean advocate, ambassador, author, and speaker
34. Kevin Richards (South Africa): Competitive swimmer, triathlete, surf lifesaver, and coach
35. Philip Rush (New Zealand): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, professional racer, escort pilot, channel administrator, and fire fighter
36. Wayne Riddin (South Africa): Competitive swimmer, race director, aquapreneur, coach and promoter
37. Veljko Rogošić (Croatia): Two-time Olympic swimmer, professional racer, solo pioneer, swimming ambassador and marathon swimmer
38. Kenny Rust (Hawaii, U.S.A.): Ocean swimmer, lifeguard, aquapreneur, and event safety official
39. Ori Sela (Israel): Sea swimmer, coach, therapist, pioneer relay swimmer and aquapreneur
40. Borut Strel (Slovenia): Coach, swimmer, clinician, planner and logistic expert
41. Martin Strel (Slovenia): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, extreme adventurer, film protagonist, and camp clinician
42. Georgios-Ioannis Tsianos, M.D., Ph.D. (Greece): Research scientist, physician, expedition medic and Channel swimmer
43. Christof Wandratsch (Germany): Channel swimmer, professional racer, solo pioneer, ice swimming record holder and event promoter
44. Captain Matthew Webb (Great Britain): Channel swimmer, extreme adventurer, and professional racer
45. Johnny Weissmuller (U.S.A.): 4-time Olympic champion and movie star with a household name
46. Alick Wickham (Solomon Islands): Ocean swimmer, high diver, body surfing promoter, surfboard shaper, and freestyle ambassador
47. Patrick Winkler (Brazil): Competitive swimmer, ocean swimmer, stand-up paddler, race promoter and publisher of The Swim Channel Magazine
48. Jabez Wolffe (Great Britain): Channel aspirant and coach in the early generations of channel swimming
49. Doug Woodring (Hong Kong/U.S.A.): Marine environment ambassador, ecology advocate, aquapreneur, ocean event director, paddler, diver, and ocean swimmer
50. David Yudovin (U.S.A.): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, aquapreneur, benefactor and mariner

Pick Me Up

Woodring created the Pick Me Up bags.

External links

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