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LITTLETON, Colo. (KDVR) — Sunday is the last day of Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
Eating disorders affect millions of Americans, and 9% of them are expected to be affected at some point in their lives, according to the National Eating Disorders Association.
A local athlete is using his experience to spread his cause around the world, literally.
“To be able to help others through what I’ve suffered,” Jamie Rinker said. “I mean, I think it would be really stupid to have suffered for so many years and not use it to do something good.”
Rinker, a Fort Morgan native, has been recovering from her own eating disorder for 24 years.
“One of the biggest ways I can manage my eating disorder is through physical effort,” Rinker said.
She calls herself an adventure athlete and continues her own training, usually on land.
“Rowing was the next hardest thing we just figured out, and lo and behold, here I am,” Rinker said. “How hard can you make it?”
When I rowed the Atlantic Ocean in 2021 and half of the Pacific Ocean in 2023, it wasn’t so much a question as a challenge to myself.
“We are preparing to sail 14,000 miles around the world,” Rinker said.
Her next challenge will be to reach the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas, then row from Spain to Florida, and then the Pacific from California to Hawaii.
She plans to rest after that row and sail from Hawaii to Australia.
Her final leg will take her from Western Australia across the Indian Ocean to Mauritius.
The entire journey will begin in May this year, with a few breaks in between, and end in March 2026.
“As we travel, our mission is to reach out to as many people as possible around the world for philanthropy, to impact these people and to raise as much money and awareness as possible. Collect them,” said Mr. Rinker.
Her charity, called ‘Bear Moose Hideaway’, revolves around natural remedies for people like herself who are recovering from eating disorders.
“By giving people a safe environment to come to and a place where they can stay as long as they need during their recovery, we can set them up for success,” Rinker said.
Her accomplishments caught the attention of documentary filmmakers, and her story, called “Resolve,” is now available online.
“One day at a time is what most recovery programs say and it’s true,” Rinker said.
Her journey through recovery and across oceans is a testament to her acceptance of one challenge at a time.
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