Olympics-Mills going for sailing gold, takes 目的（とする） at 選び出す／独身-use plastic
By Peter Hall
LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - British Olympic sailor Hannah Mills is in many ways 類似の to most エリート 競技者s in Tokyo this summer in her goal of going for gold, but what 始める，決めるs her apart is the other 使節団 she is 同時に 乗る，着手するing upon.
Mills, who won silver in the women's 470 class sailing at London 2012 and gold in Rio de Janeiro four years later, is looking to become the most successful 女性（の） Olympic sailor of all time by winning another gold メダル in Japan.
But, while 準備するing for the open seas with partner Eilidh McIntyre, Mills' other passion is something altogether more important - sustainability and the eradication of 選び出す／独身-use plastics - and she 計画（する）s to educate others, 競技者s and beyond, this summer on how to 戦闘 this ever-growing problem.
"I have experienced first 手渡す the 損失 we are doing to our oceans, 特に with 選び出す／独身-use plastics," Mills, who was 任命するd Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2017 for services to sailing, told Reuters.
"I was compelled after Rio to raise 認識／意識性 about this and feel really 堅固に that 競技者s have an incredible 壇・綱領・公約 to be able to do speak out about it, と一緒に sport.
"To get the message out about something we care about this summer, something that is negatively 損失ing our 惑星, would be pretty amazing."
によれば the 国際連合' 環境の Programme, 全世界の plastic 生産／産物 has 殺到するd to 8.3 billion tonnes since the 早期に 1950s, with 選び出す／独身-use plastics making up 40% of the world's total.
Around the world, one million plastic drinking 瓶／封じ込めるs are 購入（する）d every minute, while five 一兆 選び出す／独身-use plastic 捕らえる、獲得するs are used 世界的な every year. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once - and then thrown away.
Mills believes it is 簡単に a 事柄 of 最高潮の場面ing the 問題／発行するs around how much of this plastic, that is 非，不，無-biodegradable and takes ye ars to 崩壊する, 損害賠償金 the 環境, to a wider audience.
"I have 設立する that once people have been made aware of the plastic problem, how bad it is and the repercussions of that, it is やめる hard to go 支援する from and you are a 変える straight away," Mills said. "You start seeing it everywhere.
"I started my Big Plastic 誓約（する） （選挙などの）運動をする in 2019, which is all about engaging other 競技者s, fans, sponsors, everyone to do with sport, in trying to eradicate 選び出す／独身-use plastics in sport.
"I have been working really closely with one of Team GB's sponsors, GoDaddy (a web hosting company), to build an 競技者 道具 道具, which helps educate them and gives them the 道具s and （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） to speak about these 肉親，親類d of problems when we are not 専門家s."
Then there is the 仕事 at 手渡す on the water. Mills planned to retire last year, after Tokyo 2020, but the Games' 延期する 軍隊d a change of heart for the 33-year-old.
"I am here (Japan) and happy," Mills said. "Team GB have done a fantastic 職業 in creating that Olympic 環境. We were all a little bit nervous that experience would not be there with the hard Covid 対策 that are in place.
"The accommodation we are in is decorated with all the Olympic 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs. Things like that remind you of where you are and what you are doing."
Nothing could have 用意が出来ている Mills for one 面 of racing in Japan she had not 以前 considered.
"It is amazing to be out on the water again," she 追加するd. "It is two years since we were in Japan sailing and racing.
"Some people in the team have already seen some sharks 巡航するing around, so it is stark 思い出の品 that they are definitely here, which is not 広大な／多数の／重要な for me.
"全体にわたる we are really 確信して. Everything is in place for us to go and 配達する and really good 業績／成果."
One thing, even on the open water, never 逸脱するs far from Mills' mind, however.
"There is still a lot of work to be done on 認識／意識性, but I feel like we are almost there and now it is about 解答s," she 追加するd. "If we get rid of 選び出す／独身-use plastics, what do we 取って代わる them with and how 維持できる is that.
"最終的に, though, 消費するing いっそう少なく is better and if we can change some 態度s に向かって that this summer then that is amazing." (報告（する）／憶測ing by Peter Hall; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
