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South African sailor Kirsten Neuschäfer made history on Thursday night when she became the first woman to win the prestigious Golden Globe round-the-world race.

Neuschäfer was the only female contestant to take part in the gruelling race that sees sailors circumnavigate the globe without the use of modern technology or the benefit of satellite-based navigation.

Hailing from Gqeberha, Neuschäfer set off from Les Sables-d’Olonne, France on 4 September last year and travelled 48 000km on her own. The trip was not without incidents, and Neuschäfer even took part in a mid-ocean rescue as one of her competitors got into trouble and needed assistance.

“I truly love adventure – it really is what drives me. And I love to undertake these adventures alone and know that I only have myself to rely on once I am out there, to know that I will have to dig deep within myself to find the strength that I need to overcome the inevitable obstacles. I love the unknown! It really is a way to get to know myself, and to know my own potential – very much an inner journey too.”

The intrepid adventurer is no stranger to gruelling trips, and also completed a 15 000 km cycling trip through Africa a few years ago, travelling from Europe to South Africa by herself.

The president of SA Sailing, Michael Robinson, heaped praise on the solo sailor, saying that “other sailing heroes like Bertie Reed and John Martin have done the circumnavigation, but Kirsten is the first South African to do it non-stop and unassisted. How’s that for a gender statement?”

 

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We can’t wait to see what this lady gets up to next.