Sarah Outen facts for kids
Self portrait taken on the Indian Ocean voyage, 2009
|
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 26 May 1985 England, United Kingdom |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Rowing, Cycling, Kayaking |
| College team | Stamford High School, St Hugh's College, Oxford |
Sarah Dilys Outen (born on May 26, 1985) is a British athlete and adventurer. She is also a motivational speaker who inspires people around the world. Sarah Outen became the first woman and the youngest person to row alone across the Indian Ocean. She also rowed solo across the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Alaska. On November 3, 2015, she finished an amazing journey around the world. She completed most of this journey using her own power, by rowing boat, bicycle, and kayak.
Contents
Sarah Outen's Early Life and Education
Sarah Outen went to Stamford High School in Lincolnshire. Later, she studied Biology at St Hugh's College, Oxford University. It was at Oxford, in 2004, that she first started to enjoy rowing.
Amazing Adventures and Expeditions
Rowing Solo Across the Indian Ocean
Sarah Outen first tried to row across the Indian Ocean, but it didn't work out. She called this first try her 'Warm Up Lap'. Then, on April 1, 2009, she started again from Fremantle, Western Australia. Her boat was 19 feet long and named Serendipity.
She rowed for 124 days, 14 hours, and 9 minutes. On August 3, 2009, she arrived at Bois des Amourettes on the island of Mauritius. Sarah was the first woman to try this crossing alone. She was also only the fourth person ever to complete a solo crossing. She became the youngest person and the first woman to row alone across the Indian Ocean.
Her journey helped raise over £30,000 for two charities. These charities were Arthritis Care and Arthritis Research Campaign. She dedicated her journey to her father, who passed away in 2006. After her trip, she became a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. She also earned three Guinness World Records for her incredible crossing.
London2London: Around the World
On April 1, 2011, Sarah Outen began a huge expedition called "London2London: Via the World". This trip was mostly solo and went all the way around the planet. It included the first attempt by a woman to row across the northern Pacific Ocean. She used a rowing boat, bicycle, and kayak to travel eastward from London. She shared many stories about her adventures along the way. This journey was planned to cover about 20,000 miles (32,000 km) and take about two and a half years.
During her expedition, she cycled across Europe and Asia. Then, she rowed across the north Pacific Ocean. After that, she cycled across parts of the United States and Canada. She reached Cape Cod before planning to row across the North Atlantic Ocean back to the UK.
In the spring of 2012, during her first try at the Pacific part of the journey, a storm damaged her boat, Gulliver. She had to be rescued. After several months of recovery, she started her journey again from Japan. Her new seven-meter boat was named Happy Socks. By June 19, 2013, she had rowed 1097 nautical miles across the Pacific. She used a satellite phone to share updates about her trip.
On September 23, 2013, Sarah Outen made history. After 150 days and 3,750 miles at sea, she became the first woman to row solo from Japan to Alaska. She was also the first woman to complete a mid-Pacific row from West to East. She arrived at Adak Island in the Aleutian Islands. She rowed very close to the rocky coast before being pulled through a channel. She had originally planned to go to Canada. However, strong currents and bad weather made her change her destination to Alaska.
In May 2014, she returned to Adak. She then kayaked 2500 km along the Aleutian island chain and Alaskan Peninsula. She did this with Justine Curgenven, reaching the nearest road in Homer. No one else is known to have completed this journey in modern times. It involved many long crossings in unknown waters with strong, unpredictable currents. This part of the trip took 101 days. From Homer, she got back on her bike and cycled through the winter to the East coast of America.
In September 2014, she crossed into Canada. She arrived in New York on March 12, 2015, and left Cape Cod on May 14. On July 5, she reported that a wave had ripped off her rowboat's rudder. On October 6, after 143 days at sea, she had to stop her Atlantic crossing. This was because of Hurricane Joaquin.
She finally completed her incredible journey at Tower Bridge in London on November 3, 2015.
Awards and Recognition
Sarah Outen was made a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 2009. This was after her successful Indian Ocean crossing. She was also given the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2011. This award was for her services to rowing, protecting nature, and charity work.
In 2016, the University of Leicester gave her an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. This is a special award for her achievements.
Books by Sarah Outen
Sarah Outen has written two books about her adventures.
- Her first book is called A Dip in the Ocean: Rowing Solo Across The Indian Ocean. It was published on February 7, 2011.
- Her second book is Dare to Do: Taking on the planet by bike and boat. This book tells the story of her London2London expedition. It was published on November 1, 2016.
Sarah Outen's Personal Life
Sarah Outen's partner, Lucy, joined her for part of the cycle across North America. Sarah and Lucy live in Oxfordshire, England.
