By FRANK CARNEVALE
(MYFOX NATIONAL) – In a few days, Katie Spotz, a 22-year-old woman from Ohio, will be undertaking a challenge to row across the Atlantic Ocean. She would become the youngest person to row the ocean solo, and the first American, if she completes the journey.
She is also taking on the task to raise $30,000 for Blue Planet Run , a foundation involved in clean drinking water projects around the world.
Her row will start in Dakar, Senegal, on Africa’s west coast, and go to Cayenne, French Guiana, in South America. The journey is expected to take between 70 and 100 days, reported The New York Times . The only thing powering her boat will be Spotz, as she will not be using any sails.
Spotz’s past accomplishments are a good indicator that she is capable of undertaking this feat. According to The Cleveland Plain Dealer , at age 18, she completed her first marathon. At 19, she cycled 3,300 miles across the country for the American Lung Association, and also completed a 62-mile ultramarathon. She has placed first in her group in a half-Ironman triathlon: a 1.2 mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run. She ran 150 miles solo across the Mojave Desert.
But the row is something new for her. “This is definitely my biggest challenge,” Spotz said to The Plain Dealer . She feels her mental toughness and preparations will help her succeed, but she knows it will be difficult.
“There comes a point where no matter how physically fit you are, you do break down,” Spotz said. “There comes a point where you’re sore, you’re fatigued, you’re exhausted, and there needs to be something more that keeps you going. I find that’s what drives me and keeps me coming back for more — understanding it’s really more of a mental challenge than anything.”
She leaves for Africa on Friday, and in a video interview with The Plain Dealer, Spotz said she “can’t wait to get to Africa and start her row.”
Her Web site, rowforwater.com, has a countdown ticker to Dec. 28, the day she casts off. While at sea, she will update the blog on her Web site and her Twitter account.
To keep herself otherwise busy, she tweeted that she will “have audiobooks, iPod, and videos to help pass the time. And [she's] bringing a mini-wilson ;o)” “Mini-wilson” is a reference to the volleyball head that served as friend to Tom Hanks’ character Chuck Noland in the movie “Cast Away.”
Katie Spotz talks about preparations for her trip:
