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Meet woman who rowed across the Atlantic

Abu Dhabi - In 2005, Kathy, a New Zealander, along with three women from the UK, pitted themselves against the might of the ocean for a 4,700-km long historic journey.

Not everyday we come across ordinary people who do extraordinary things. Kathy Tracey, who earned a world record by rowing across the mighty Atlantic, is one among them.
The now 56-year-old Founding Partner of Thinking Spaces Ltd, was in Abu Dhabi recently for leadership talks held at New York University Abu Dhabi Institute (NYUAD), where she shared her incredible story with young students.
In 2005, Kathy, a New Zealander, along with three women from the UK, pitted themselves against the might of the ocean for a 4,700-km long historic journey.
Kathy, Lois Rawlings, Paula Van Katwyk and Sarah Day, now hold the Guiness World Record for being the first 4-member women crew to row across any ocean - unsupported.
There were a total of 24 boats of men and women competing for the race, which began from the Antigua in the Caribbean.
By the end of the race in early 2006, only 16 boats remained. The crew remained entirely self-sufficient for the duration of the journey, which lasted for 67 days, seven hours and 20 minutes.
"We faced some very ferocious weather, huge storms and massive waves that were threatening to capsize our boat many times," she told Khaleej Times. "The weather was so rough that many boats had to be abandoned."
Despite the women having years of experience in rowing, many people believed that there was no way they would win the race.
"I was in my 40s and people thought that I was too old, too short and not athletic enough. Many people believed we weren't going to achieve it. But with perseverance, we got through every hour."
"I was severely dehydrated and was unable to drink anything for five days. The other women said: You are shrinking before our eyes."
One of the crew also faced injuries and broke her rib, which made the journey darker.
"Once my sea sickness was over, I never thought about giving up again."
It was seeing the finish line that truly made every moment, every teardrop and every sweat, worth it. It was incredible to arrive to this amazingly warm welcome by all our families and friends - people who we a times thought we will never see again.
"We often beat ourselves up for our failures in life. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. But we should celebrate our little successes along the way."
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com