Kik-Plastic
1268. Kiko Matthews
Kiko Matthews, from London, launched ‘Kik-Plastic’ to clear the UK coastline of plastic, cycling over 4,000 miles and mobilising an army of 1,950 volunteers to collect 3.45 tonnes of plastic across 79 UK beaches.
After being diagnosed in 2009 with Cushings Disease, a rare and life-threatening condition which causes tumours on the pituitary gland, Kiko sought to take on new challenges that could result in creating positive change for the causes she cared about, particularly the environment. A world-record holder for the fastest woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, Kiko wanted to use her passion for adventure and extreme endurance challenges to inspire others and engage people in tackling the problem of single-use plastic. Completing her ‘Kik-Plastic UK’ challenge in July 2019, Kiko is continuing to build a community of volunteers and advocate for climate action.
In a personal letter to Kiko, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“I know you do this with no thought of praise or reward, but allow me to offer my own recognition of how you are clearing our nation’s beaches of plastic and restoring them to their natural beauty.”
Kiko said:
“It’s so lovely to be recognised for what I and 1,950 volunteers did. 6,900km of UK and Irish roads, and 79 beaches (not all sunny and nice, I assure you!) was quite a tough gig, but makes it all the more worth it when you get recognised by The PM Boris himself!”