Roz Savage Rows Towards Australia in a Quest to be the First Female to Row Solo across the Pacific

Roz Savage spent 11 years working in an office as a management consultant in London. It was between those cubicle walls that savage, then 27, decided to alter her path in life. She moved to New York to be a professional photographer for a year, and then, honing in on her previously hidden adventurous spirit, she decided to spend three months exploring Peru. In those months, she experienced an expedition in the Peruvian cloudforest, a pilgrimage to Ausangate, and a trip to the Amazon, all while documenting her adventures through writing and photography. Her three months in Peru were introspective; the powerful juxtaposition of the mountains and the ocean tempted Savage to take on a mission in life no other woman in history had ever accomplished- to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Savage had been involved in rowing since college, a member of the Osiris Crew on the Oxford Women’s Boat Club, as well as continuing to row with the Thames Rowing Club while working in London.

Perhaps it was the nearly six year hiatus from consistent rowing, or simply the wonder and enticement of the diverse Peruvian landscape that beckoned Savage to embark on a historic adventure she couldn’t refuse.

In 2005 Savage set out from the Canary Islands with 3,000 miles and inevitably 103 days at sea ahead of her. Over the next 3 months, the solo female rower encountered storms that defeated every one of her oars before she reached the halfway point, also claiming her stereo, camping stove, and cockpit navigation instruments. Savage, however, successfully guarded her spirit and unyielding determination, as was captured by her entertaining and inspiring blog that she updated via satellite phone.

The greatest challenge was when, within 4 weeks of reaching her destination, her satellite phone too was claimed by the uncompromising waters of the Atlantic, leaving Savage in complete isolation from the world. Twenty-four days later, however, she finally arrived, successfully completing a mission no woman had ever accomplished.

For Roz Savage this accomplishment was not a stopping point. Her insatiable desire for adventure immediately began craving a greater challenge, and in the same year as the completion of one life’s goal, she set another: to be the first woman to row solo across the Pacific.

Last summer, Savage set off for and completed the first stage in her Pacific attempt, becoming the first woman to row solo from San Francisco to Hawaii, completing 2,324 miles of her journey. She embarked on the second stage this past May, which will take her from Hawaii to Tuvalu, 2,620 miles further toward her destination. The final stage will take the ocean rower from Tuvalu to Australia, another 2,324 miles and ultimately her greatest accomplishment.

For her Pacific expedition, Savage continues to keep an updated blog, but has also taken advantage of other social networking sites, including Blogspot, LinkedIn, Flickr and Twitter to not only stay connected but to continue to humorously update and legitimately inspire over 6,000 cyber followers and thousands more friends around the world.