Many have had the dream. Few have dared to pursue it. In the case of Cole Brauer it's been a dream to sail solo, non-stop, in a race around the world.
And since mainstream media hasn't been explosive in their coverage, I'll catch us up a bit.
Captain Cole Brauer is 29 years old and somewhere near 5 feet tall. (Hey, Cole, I feel ya!) She might be 100 pounds when she's well fed. She is about to become the first American woman to race solo, non-stop around the world, and her Instagram posts and reels top my year's inspirations. At least one other race rejected her application because of her size, saying she'd had trouble navigating the tough Southern Ocean waters. (Tsk.Tsk.)
Not the Global Solo Challenge (GSC). She entered the GSC as the youngest competitor and only female. Now, no one questions her right to be included. Within the next few hours she'll be finishing in second place. It the process, she should earn a world record for the class boat she's sailing. Around 200 people will have sailed, a non-stop global trip. A few other women have done it - but no American woman. She's our first.
Cole will go in the books for more then her sailing prowess. Each day she shared her thoughts, feelings and insights with her Instagram fans. Currently, there are nearly a half million of us. Her reels expose her calm under pressure, and her gratitude and awe of both her grand opportunity and each awe inspiring sunrise. She offers appreciation for each of the many teams supporting her. She's explained her first aid and medical preparation, and schooled us in sailing terms, strategies, weather systems, and her many mechanical and technical repairs. She's smart. She's wicked smart. And she's tough.
Cole has exemplified grace under pressure while also shedding a few tears of exhaustion and of compassion for some of her struggling competitors. At this point, I think more than half of her original competitors have dropped out. (I need to fact check the exact number.*) Some left due to broken or missing boat parts. Some wouldn't meet the necessary time benchmarks to be allowed to continue.
Though we've seen her in tough conditions, we've also gotten a glimpse of her self-care days, and her high-spirited, uninhibited, ofter courageous dancing on or near the bow. She credited her parents, both body builders in her youth, for raising her to be the best she could be physically. And she is. Catch her pull-ups and her report from the top of a mast.
After tomorrow she'll be walking on terra firma and no doubt enjoying many grand celebrations for her historic feat. We'll hear about her for years to come - not just because of this race, but for more feats to follow. And she'll dazzle us while tempting us to each answer our own dares. What's your dare? How will you answer in this lifetime? Time is ticking, and she has shown us what happens when we have body and mind and heart working in sync.
Thank you, Cole, and friends who've shared in daily delight of her accomplishments and spirit! Thanks for your joy, hope, kindness and inspiration. Thanks for sharing your team and community with us, and giving us a reason to believe that people not only can do hard things, we can co-exist and celebrate one another's accomplishments with joy. Mudita!
She thought she could and she did. And we're all the richer for it.
btw, I might watch her arrival in tonight in A Coruña, Spain. It will be livestreamed.
I'm inviting a tiny group of Cole fan friends to pop on a Zoom. Let me know if you'd like to join us as she makes it officially into the history books.
@Globalsolochallenge
@colebraueroceanracing
Also fun following:
@sailgpusa
@philippe_mowgli - he placed first
And the very spirited third place sailor, @Andrea_Mura_Racer
Be sure to view some of his past reels when you want a little warmth or humor in your day.
I'll add a few more of the remaining racers. Some of the people in the back of the pack deserve noting for their perseverance and resilience. There at lessons to learn from all of them!
* As of 3/6/2024 nine skippers have retired from the race Five remain. One has completed it.
(The image is not Cole's sailboat. It has been licensed for use. :-) )
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