Ellen MacArthur

Shattered sailing records and pivoted to global sustainability advocacy, redefining post-athlete activism.

Dame Ellen MacArthur (b. 1976) transformed from a record-breaking sailor into a leading voice for the circular economy. In 2005, she completed the solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe in 71 days—a feat that earned her international fame. Yet her true impact emerged post-retirement.

MacArthur’s sailing career taught her resource efficiency: carrying limited supplies on voyages mirrored Earth’s finite resources. In 2010, she launched the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, advocating for a circular economy model to eliminate waste. The foundation collaborates with corporations like Google and Unilever to redesign production cycles.

Her TED Talk, 'The surprising thing I learned sailing solo around the world', has garnered millions of views. MacArthur also co-authored reports with the World Economic Forum, pushing systemic changes in industries from fashion to plastics. By 2023, her foundation’s initiatives influenced EU policy on single-use plastics.

MacArthur’s journey—from navigating oceans to steering global sustainability—proves that individual passion can ignite systemic change, making her a quintessential difference-maker of the 21st century.