Woman speaks out after history-making row from California to Hawaii
American rower Kelsey Pfendler is celebrating after making history.
Pfendler, a Grand Canyon river rafting guide, became the first American woman and fastest person to successfully row solo across the mid-Pacific region, from California to Hawaii.
"It was very surreal. I think it was hard to like, soak in that I had actually made it," Pfendler told ABC News after her long-distance row.
When the 32-year-old completed the row on Friday, July 3, hundreds gathered along Honolulu Harbor to greet and cheer her.
"It was very intense and just, there were so many people there and it was very wonderful," Pfendler said.
Pfendler began her 2,400-mile journey on May 21, pushing off from Monterey, and documented her journey with video updates on her @yourowkelsey social media pages.
Along the way, a U.S. Coast Guard crew stopped near Pfendler's boat to talk to her and even sing happy birthday to her on the high seas.
Pfendler arrived in Honolulu after 43 days, 17 hours and 55 minutes, appearing to break the speed record set by any man or woman.
"I didn't expect to get in that early but I picked up a lot of speed at the very end because there was some good current going into Honolulu," she said.
Pfendler said her quest was a reminder of the power of Mother Nature.
"I was definitely scared at points but then, you put that against some of the flatter days where you get to like, actually soak in like, how immense the open ocean is," she said.
Pfendler said she hopes her achievement can inspire other women to push boundaries and take chances.
"It's really motivating to think like, maybe one day, I will get to see another woman work even harder to do what I did and it would be so special to watch," she said.
