Hannah Byrd is just 27 years old, but she’s about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
“We will not see another soul for 34 days,” said Byrd. “We will not see land for 34 days. We won’t have any connection, no wifi, to the outside world for 34 days.”
She continued, “Everything that is on our boat is all that we have and each other. That’s it.”
She, along with her three teammates plan to row from Monterey California to Hawaii as part of a dangerous, unassisted boat race that spans 2,800 miles.
The current record for the trip is 34 days, 14 hours. It’s a record Byrd’s team plans to beat, despite the slew of obstacles.
“We’ll get hit by 40-foot waves, marlins, storms, hurricanes,” lists off Byrd. “Seasickness, blisters, sores, things like that. But I would definitely say my only fear is not winning.”
For months, the women have trained for hours each day. Inspiring each other and other women, they hope.
“As an all-female crew, we’re really trying to show other women, how just truly strong they are and how you can overcome anything,” she said. “Even in moments where you really feel like you can’t, you can overcome anything.”
She told KIRO 7, she knows that feeling first-hand. As a domestic violence survivor, she’s overcome bruises, trauma, and homelessness in just the last few years. Now, she wants to propel herself forward as one of the world’s top athletes and more importantly, as an advocate for domestic violence.
In addition to working with Tennessee legislators on a new domestic violence bill, Byrd is also working to fundraise for a domestic violence shelter. Her rowing team hopes to donate the money they raise during their race.
“We’re actually fundraising money for the Domestic Violence Action Center out in Honolulu,” she said. “It’s organizations like that, that really helped to get me back on my feet to give me the confidence that I needed. It reminded me of just how strong I am as a person and I can do anything that I put my mind to.”
The group hopes to raise $200,000 for the center. You can donate here.
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