Born c. 1942, U.S.A.

On August 18, 1998, American sailor Karen Thorndike arrived in San Diego, California, aboard her thirty-six-foot yacht Amelia. She had just completed a 33,000-mile solo trip around the world, which she had begun on August 4, 1996. During her two years at sea, she encountered bad weather and rough waters, illness, exhaustion, and loneliness. But from friends and strangers alike she also experienced incredible support for her quest, and she discovered an inner strength that kept her going despite daunting obstacles—allowing her to fulfill her dream.

Up until Thorndike’s successful solo circumnavigation (circling) of the world, only six other women had achieved the feat. In 1977–78, England’s Naomi James, Poland’s Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz, and France’s Brigitte Oudry had all sailed solo around the world south of the five great capes of the Southern Hemisphere: South America...