SARAH DILYS OUTEN MBE FRGS is an English athlete and adventurer born on this date. She is also a motivational speaker in the United Kingdom and internationally. In addition to rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, Outen was the first woman and the youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean and also the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Alaska in 2013.

On the North Pacific row she battled dangerous seas, isolation, cargo ships, sickness and currents that often tossed her boat in the wrong direction. She was nearly hit by a cargo ship after her radar failed. Outen described seeing a “big black wall” coming through mist in a phone interview posted on her website.

On September 23, 2013, after 150 days and 3,750 miles at sea, she became the first woman to row solo across the North Pacific ocean. Outen arrived at Adak Island in the Aleutian Islands, rowing to within half a mile of a rocky coastline before being towed through the channel between Adak and Kagalaska Island. She was originally bound for Canada, but punishing currents and inclement weather forced her to change destinations for Alaska.

She also tweeted about whiteout fog and exhaustion-induced hallucinations in the final, treacherous miles to Adak. The 3,750 miles took Outen 150 days to complete. In 2009, Outen became the first woman to row solo across the Indian Ocean. Outen got engaged to her girlfriend while on the journey.

Tweeted Outen upon arriving on the Alaskan shoreline: “Wobbled my way ashore, patted Happy Socks. Then hugged… Relief. Joy. Disbelief. Happy happy days.”