"Woman Is the Youngest to Cross an Ocean Alone
Katie Spotz and her father, Dan, on Sunday in Guyana after she finished her trans-Atlantic trip.
Katie Spotz completed her mission Sunday, becoming the youngest person to row an entire ocean solo, and the first American to row a boat without help from mainland to mainland. After 70 days 5 hours 22 minutes in the Atlantic, Spotz, 22, arrived Sunday in Georgetown, Guyana, in South America.
“You’re in a situation that you can’t escape, so you really have to dig deep,” said Spotz, who left Jan. 3 from Dakar, Senegal, on the west coast of Africa.
Her 2,817-mile journey raised more than $70,000 for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, which finances drinking water projects around the world.
“Are you nuts?” Dan Spotz, her father, said when she told him about her plan. “When she rode a bike across the entire country, she didn’t have to worry about sharks or pirates.”
Spotz did see sharks. She was splashed by dolphins as big as her boat. Fish leapt and slapped her in the face, and exhausted birds nestled beside her as she rowed.
Rather than thinking about how far she had traveled or how many miles she had left, she tried to notice her surroundings.
“For this journey I really couldn’t think that far in advance because otherwise it would be overwhelming,” Spotz said. “It allowed me to focus on what was happening in that moment.”"
All of the above is directly from the NYTimes.
After reading this I felt inspired and proud of her all day. 70 days! Sharks! Fish slapping her in the face! Storms!
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