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On December 3, 1999 history was made when Tori Murden rowed across the Atlantic Ocean alone. Though she wasn’t the first person to ever accomplish this feat, she was the first American and the first woman to ever do this.

Her journey began in the middle of September when she left the Canary Islands which are off the northwest coast of Africa. She was making very good time when she encountered some bad weather. This bad weather came in the form of a hurricane named Lenny. Hurricane Lenny presented Tori with 20-foot waves and turned over her 23-foot boat named the American Pearl. Tori was thrown into the ocean, but was able to save herself and get back into her rowboat. The hurricane pushed her back 10 miles, but she didn’t let that stop her. Her determination to finish what she had started was too strong.

As the days passed, Tori found herself bored at times because she didn’t have any human contact. She cooked her food with a butane stove and used buckets to wash her dishes. Any garbage that wasn’t biodegradable she saved. All of these items were packed below the hatches on the boat. She slept on a cloth that acted as a hammock and would wake up on occasion to check on the boat. Along her route, a pair of dolphins followed her and kept her company as she rowed.

Finally, 82 days and 2,961 miles later, Tori Murden rowed to shore on the island of Guadeloupe. This marked her success as the first American and woman to cross the Atlantic solo. She is truly a role model, because she has proven that if you set your mind to something, you can accomplish it. And she also proved that a woman is capable of doing anything a man can do. In fact, no American man has ever done what Tori Murden has done!

To see what Tori accomplished, pull out a globe or an atlas and look for Africa. You’ll see some islands called the Canary Islands off the northwest coast. Then look across the Atlantic between North America and South America. You’ll see a group of islands called the Caribbean islands. That’s where you’ll find Guadeloupe where Tori set foot after 82 days.