London – Known in Brazil and around the world for her bravery when facing huge waves, surfer Maya Gabeira will lend her popularity to Unesco to defend a cause that fits perfectly with her professional background: the defense of the seas.
At the opening of the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon this Monday (27), UNESCO director-general Audrey Azoulay nominated the Brazilian athlete for the position of “UNESCO Ocean and Youth Champion”.
“We are children of the ocean and it is time to protect and improve their health for future generations. To be successful, we need inspiring and committed personalities who will help us raise awareness of sustainability with citizens around the world,” he said.
Maya Gabeira’s orbit praised by UNESCO
UNESCO director Maya Gabeira praised her trajectory, noting that she had “extraordinary training, an inspirational athlete who pushed the limits, and an advocate for the environment.”
Maya said she is concerned about the problems affecting the oceans, from marine pollution to biodiversity destruction.
“What drew me to the role of UNESCO Ocean and Youth Champion is the opportunity to see the ocean from multiple perspectives.”
Maya Gabeira, who currently holds the record for the largest wave surfed by a woman, will play an active role in promoting UNESCO’s advocacy on ocean sustainability issues, according to the organization.
She will work to mobilize the next generation, organize youth summits on ocean sustainability and serve as a key spokesperson for Gen Ocean, UNESCO’s new campaign to promote lifestyle change.
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Maya Gabeira grew up in an environmentally committed family and understood the importance of climate issues from an early age. She started surfing at the age of 13 and turned pro at the age of 17, she.
The Brazilian has won the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards for five consecutive years. The highlight of her career came when she broke the Guinness World Record for the largest wave ever surfed by a woman at 22.4 meters in 2020.
In naming the Brazilian surfer, UNESCO emphasized that after 15 years of close contact with the ocean, Maya Gabeira witnessed firsthand the impact of climate change on the marine world.
And he highlighted the track record of leading successful activist campaigns, such as supporting a campaign against the use of plastics in Brazil.
“This experience will help achieve UNESCO’s climate goals,” the agency said.
Maya Gabeira breaks record in Portugal
It was a coincidence that Maya Gabeira was declared a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in the Portuguese capital.
The surfer became famous when he challenged the giant waves of Nazaré beach in Portugal, where he had a serious accident in 2013.
As part of her global celebrity roster, Gabeira joins other Brazilians who are UNESCO Goodwill ambassadors, such as visual artist Vix Muniz, broadcaster Nizan Guanaes and former volleyball player Jacqueline Silva.
Maya Gabeira’s dedication to social causes is a family heirloom. His father, journalist Fernando Gabeira, has a long political trajectory, from exile during the military government to a four-term federal mandate for the Green Party.
Maya Gabeira’s mission will be to help advance UNESCO’s goals, which includes a new global program to ensure coastal communities are “Tsunami-Ready” by 2030.
UNESCO education for the most affected communities is part of the United Nations Decade of Oceanology for Sustainable Development projects.
The interference is effective for rapid detection of tsunamis. About 40 communities were trained in 21 countries in the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.
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source: Noticias
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