Growing up on the coast of Lake Erie, sailing on a regular basis, skippering my own boat beginning at age 6, I still find myself immersed in sailing stories like this one. This 16-yr old girl set out seven months ago to sail around the world. Thousands welcomed Jessica home last week into Sydney Harbor. Though this Aussie is too young to drive, she managed to navigate herself around the world, achieving her dream.
What strikes me most is not just her amazing accomplishment, it’s her perspective- something we can all learn from. Jessica’s record for being the youngest person to sail around the world is under hot debate. But, she shrugs it off, saying, “It’s not something that worries me because there always have been and there always will be some people who choose to not acknowledge the record, and for me it wasn’t ever actually about the record, so I’m not worried at all.”
Jessica tops it off with this: “I’m not a hero. I’m an ordinary girl who believed in her dream. You don’t have to be someone special to achieve something amazing. You’ve just gotta have a dream, believe in it, and work hard.”
Today, I was inspired by a 16 year old. Thanks, Jessica!
Read more on CNN.
