Ohio endurance athelete Katie Spotz has become the youngest person to row the Atlantic. The 22-year-old American reached Guyana on March 14 after 70 days 5 hours and 22 minutes. She left Dakar, Senegal on Jan. 3.
This is Spot's first ocean row and only her second long-distance row. A 40-mile practice row across Lake Erie almost ended in disaster when her boat became pinned against a cliff by wind and waves.
Spotz's 2,817-mile voyage raised more than $70,000 for Blue Planet Run Foundation, a group that finances drinking water projects around the world. Her past feats of endurance include a 325-mile swim of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania and a cycle trip across the U.S.
Spotz communicated with her land-based support team via a satellite phone and posted regular updates of her progress on Facebook.
According to the London-based Ocean Rowing Society, more than 102 crews have tried and failed to cross the Atlantic. Meanwhile, the sport of ocean rowing continues to grow. This year, British rower Roz Savage plans to complete stage three of her epic row across the Pacific.
