Kelsey Pfendler made history after rowing from California to Hawaii alone.
According to The New York Post, Kelsey, on Friday, July 3, became the first-ever American woman to solo row across the mid-Pacific.
Kelsey began her expedition, a 2,500-mile journey from California to Hawaii, from Monterey Harbor at 6 am on May 21, stepping into her tiny boat to row all alone to O’ahu.
The voyage was expected to take up to 90 days.
Kelsey Pfendler opens up on making history
Kelsey, in a video on Friday, from the deck of her boat spoke about being within sight of her goal and knowing that she would set a new benchmark for future mid-Pacific rowers.
She said, “I think it’s going to take a while to really absorb that this is really happening, but at this point, it’s going to happen. It’s a crazy feeling to have this moment when I didn’t even expect fully to break the women’s record. I’m so grateful for this moment. This is huge for me for a lot of reasons.”
Kelsey also noted that she was on the edge of breaking another record, saying, “I’m about 500 miles ahead of the men’s record, so I’ll be the fastest person to do this row.”
Kelsey Pfendler birthday at sea
During her nearly month-and-a-half journey in the sea, she also received a heartwarming birthday surprise on her 32nd birthday.
On her 41st day in the open water during her 2,500-mile journey, a US Coast Guard cutter pulled alongside her rowing boat and sang “Happy Birthday” for her.
The rower who was documenting her historic journey posted a video on TikTok. She said, “This is so cool. This is so special for me,” as the crew busted out in a chorus of Happy Birthday.
The encounter was not only memorable for the river guide but also for the Coast Guard crew.
One crew member told Kelsey over the radio, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us, truly. It’s not as exciting as crossing the ocean.”
Brendan, the cutter’s skipper, expressed, “We’re really excited to see you here. I think it’s an incredible way to show how impressive the human body is.”
Kelsey is expected to complete her journey in 43 days and will arrive between July 3 and 5 at Ala Wai Harbor in Honolulu.
