adidas Outdoor Athlete Sonya Baumstein Begins Attempt to Become First Female to Solo Row Nonstop Across Pacific Ocean April 27

Baumstein Leaves from Hometown of Orlando for 6,000-Nautical Mile Expedition

Los Angeles (April 21, 2015) – adidas Outdoor, the athletic brand in the outdoors, today announced its athlete Sonya Baumstein, 29, will depart from Orlando April 27 for Japan, where she begins her attempt to become the first female to row solo from Japan to San Francisco. Baumstein will depart from Japan for the 6,000-mile, 4-6 month voyage, rowing 14-18 hours per day in a custom carbon boat weighing less than 775 lbs. without a motor or sail. Baumstein’s boat was built and outfitted in Port Townsend, Wash., by SpinDrift Rowing.

During the expedition, Baumstein will:

• Store and consume more than 1,000 lbs. of freeze-dried food and 180 drink supplements
• Drink olive oil to retain weight
• Use an electric water maker that produces 30 liters of water per hour
• Sleep in a small berth with straps to hold her secure during rough weather
• Collect thousands of data points to help calibrate and validate current oceanographic research tools
• Communicate using a satellite phone for emergency and data collection
• Communicate with schools in the U.S. about her journey through the Expedition Pacific Ocean Ambassadors program

“Preparing for a journey like Sonya’s requires dedication and mental toughness. We know she is ready to overcome any challenges she will encounter,” said Greg Thomsen, adidas Outdoor U.S. managing director. “We look forward to communicating with her to track her progress, not only for her personal achievements, but also, for the advancements in science.”

This mission will be the first collection of shallow surface data, as the rowboat sits just one foot below the water, and will gain additional knowledge about ocean salinity, fresh water and temperature.

Depending on wind, waves and weather, Baumstrein is expected to row 40 to 60 miles a day. She will use her previous experiences from stand-up paddle boarding across the Bering Strait in 2013 and rowing across the Atlantic Ocean from the Canary Islands to Barbados in 2011, and will apply survival skills based on what she learned.

For more information about Baumstein’s journey, please visit expeditionpacific.com.

About adidas Outdoor: adidas Outdoor is the athletic brand in the outdoors. The company’s founder, Adi Dassler, designed equipment solutions for athletes that improved their performance. The long history of adidas Outdoor began in the 1970s with the creation of the first light trekking shoes. Climbing legend Reinhold Messner helped adidas design super light and fast approach hiking shoes for his first Everest ascent without supplemental oxygen in 1980. The tradition continues today with products influenced by Messner, as well as notable extreme outdoor adventurers from around the world.