Blog Post 1
It all started with an idea my dad pitched to me in the backyard that sent us racing halfway around the world.
I had just returned from living in Australia for a year and a half, unsure of what my next step would be. One thing I was certain of: it would never be something traditional. My twin sister and older sister were both living conventional lives, working corporate jobs, but I had always known that wasn’t my trajectory. I craved something different—something adventurous.
My dad, a professional sailor, was the one who first planted the seed for what would become a life-changing journey. He told me about the Clipper Round the World race, a sailing competition that takes amateur sailors across the globe. We were entering the post-COVID world, and things were starting to pick back up again. The race, which had been paused halfway through, was about to resume. All 11 boats in the fleet had been stranded in the Philippines, and spots had opened up on the race because many participants couldn’t return due to how their lives had changed over the year-long hiatus.
One of those open spots was on Leg 6: “The Mighty North Pacific,” a leg that stretched from the Philippines to Seattle and generally takes about a month. My dad casually pitched the idea of joining. He showed me videos of the race—waves crashing down on sailors suited up in full gear, battling the elements on deck. It was equal parts thrilling and terrifying.
A week later I decided to join my best fiend on a spontaneous road trip to San Diego. She needed a change after going through a breakup. We had just arrived on the West Coast when, on my second day there, my dad called. “Do you remember that Clipper race?” he asked. “Well, I talked to them, and they said we could join for Leg 6. But we’d have to leave in a week for London for a month of training.”
I was speechless. A week? To prepare for something so monumental? The thought of racing across the North Pacific—one of the most challenging and unpredictable stretches of ocean in the world—felt like stepping into the unknown. I was an amateur sailor with little experience, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How could I say no?
The next thing I knew, I was on a flight to London. Over the next month, I not only learned how to sail but also how to race a 70-foot sailboat. The training was intense, physically and mentally demanding, but it was exhilarating. I was about to embark on an adventure that would push me to my limits and forever change my perspective on what I was capable of.
Little did I know, the journey ahead would be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. It was a leap into the unknown, but it was exactly where I was meant to be.
We left training signed up for the entire second half of the race… that changed the trip from one month to six.
