A former Grand Canyon river‑rafting guide, aiming to become the first American woman to row solo across the Pacific, has completed a record‑breaking solo voyage from California to Hawaii.
Hundreds gathered to cheer Kelsey Pfendler as she arrived at a Honolulu harbor Friday night aboard her 21‑foot rowboat, Lily, after almost a month and a half at sea, according to local media.
Launching from Monterey, California, in May, Pfendler aimed to become the first American woman, the youngest woman, and the fastest woman to complete the 2,400‑mile (3,900 km) solo crossing, according to her website. Hundreds of thousands followed her journey on social media, sharing videos of the highs, lows, and quirks of her voyage as she drifted alone across the ocean.
According to records kept by Ocean Rowing Society International, which oversees ocean‑rowing achievements for Guinness World Records, Pfendler appears to have broken both the previous women’s and men’s speed records. The organization has not yet responded to Associated Press inquiries regarding her finish.
The society’s online records, posted Saturday morning, show Pfendler completing the crossing in under 44 days—faster than the prior female record of 86 days and the male record of 52 days, as recognized by both the society and Guinness World Records.
Her video diaries outlined the logistics of her voyage and survival at sea, describing challenges such as blistered hands, difficulty sleeping amid strong winds, and the mental and physical strain of dealing with occasionally unfavorable currents and winds.
She described how she prepared meals, protected her skin from the sun, laundered her clothing, and produced fresh water.
In some videos her voice cracked with emotion, while in others she humorously noted a tan line on her forehead from her hat and joked about the importance of her caffeine pills.
Her website notes that she has worked as a professional raft guide since age 18 and has spent the past eight years leading trips on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.
“I simply love being on a boat in the middle of nowhere,” she said in one video.
Local news outlets reported that Pfendler was expected to speak to the media, and an emailed interview request to her team has not yet been returned.
In a recent video posted as she approached Oahu, she reflected on the significance of her accomplishment and what she hoped others would learn from it.
“If this inspired even one person to feel more confident in their own skin, I couldn’t ask for anything more, and I’m happy,” she said.
“Consider tackling your own big, challenging, scary goal. You may not think you’re strong enough to finish it now, but you are strong enough to begin, and you’ll find the rest along the way. I’m going to finish my big, scary challenge.”
Pfendler’s accomplishment came two days after marathon swimmer Catherine Breed began a 900‑mile swim, aiming to become the first person to swim the entire California coast.
Her goal is to swim five hours each day from the Oregon state line to Mexico’s border, with the hope of completing the journey by November, according to the California news outlet SFist.