Almost all sailors dream of circumnavigating the globe, but only a few succeed. Out of the many people who have attempted this dangerous feat, only 200 have successfully completed the course; the attempts ended either with the sailor quitting or getting lost at sea. The latter is a fate worse than you could ever imagine.

Despite knowing all odds, sixteen-year-old Abby Sunderland set out to attempt this perilous journey on her own. Abby got her boat and equipment ready to take on this record-breaking activity with the support of her family, unaware of the dangers she would face at sea.

Not Your Average Teen

It is essential for you to realize that Abby was not a typical teen. Sixteen years is indeed young, and by all accounts, circumnavigation sounds like the last thing a teenage girl would have on her mind.

Nevertheless, nature and nurture are the critical elements at play here, as our main lead had some big shoes to fill. Her upbringing and lineage had a fascinating backstory that we can’t ignore when going into this inspiring tale. If the circumstances were different, we would probably be on the side of the naysayers, but that is not the case here.