‘Sarah – You are obviously certifiably bonkers. Thank God.’ Dawn French
Sarah is a British adventurer and ocean rower. She is currently part way through her ground-breaking expedition ‘London2London: Via the World’ – an attempt to row, cycle and kayak a continuous loop of the planet. Awarded three Guinness World Records for her Indian Ocean row in 2009 and having raised over £30,000 for arthritis charities, she was appointed MBE in 2011. Today, she continues to support a number of charities, while also sharing her adventures with schools around the world, in the hope of inspiring young people to take on their own adventures and challenges.
In her own words:
I am Sarah Outen, a young(ish) adventurer at 2.7 decades old, hooked on life and wild places, and inspiring others to follow their own dreams.
One day I will be a teacher, be it in a classroom or not, but for now I am enjoying the opportunities to share my experiences and encourage other people to find and redefine their own boundaries.
Adventure
I love adventure – the feeling of not quite knowing if or how you will make your destination, of pushing the limits and testing yourself against yourself and the elements. My love of the wild led me to a degree in Biology at the University of Oxford and in 2009 took me out to sea on the biggest adventure of my life, rowing solo across the Indian Ocean. It was this 4,000 nautical mile row from Australia to Mauritius that inspired me to go on to more journeys.
London2London: Via the World is born
It was out on the Indian Ocean that I yearned for more ocean time and started tracing routes across the green bits of the globe, too – I wanted to make a huge journey by land and sea that was very much rooted in my home country. London2London: Via the World was born.
I set off on 1st April 2011 from London’s Tower Bridge on my expedition to cycle, row and kayak a continuous loop of the world. 2012′s Pacific attempt was ended short by Tropical Storm Mawar, but after nine months of blood, sweat and tears, I am very much ready to relaunch in a matter of weeks, setting off once again from Choshi, Japan to row across the North Pacific to Canada. We’re back on track and ETA at Tower Bridge is now Autumn 2014.
Sarah Outen: Awards & Achievements
Awarded an MBE for services to rowing, conservation and charity (2011)
First woman to row solo across the Indian Ocean (2009)
Youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean (2009)
Youngest female to row solo across any ocean (2009)
2012 Shortlisted in the Women of the Future Awards
2012 Appointed Vice President Leicester Rowing Club
2011 Appointed Vice Patron of Jubilee Sailing Trust
2011 Finalist for Travel Blog in UK Travel Press Awards
2011 Published first book: ‘A Dip In The Ocean: Rowing Solo Across the Indian’ (Summersdale)
2010 Appointed Ambassador for The Blue Project
2009 Became a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society
2009 Winner of Best of Explorers’ Web 2009 Awards for Indian Ocean Row
2008 Completed the 125 mile endurance Devizes to Westminster Race (2nd Solo Female)
2007 Crewed with Geoff Holt’s Round Britain Sailing Challenge
2007 Sarah graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Biological Sciences
