VeeVeroniqueB99@mastodon.social
Jul 11, 2026, 9:34 PMThis badass woman should be all over the news but sadly her accomplishment is under-reported.
!["It has been criminally under-reported, but Kelsey Pfendler [US] has just rowed solo across the Pacific Ocean from the US coast [Monterrey, Calif.] to [Honolulu] Hawaii in record time. A 2400-mile [~ 3860 km] unsupported journey in 42 days, 17 hours, and 55 minutes. Notably beating the men's record by 9 whole days."
(The image is a Bsky post with a photo of her, with that text, which I've lightly edited.)](https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/903/488/588/814/814/original/141feb76d1db5536.png)
Replies
Jeff GriggJeffGrigg@mastodon.socialJul 11, 2026, 9:53 PMNews: "Female American rower speaks after completing record-breaking solo journey from CA to HI.
Grand Canyon river rafting guide Kelsey Pfendler became the first American woman and fastest person to successfully row solo across the mid-Pacific region, from California to Hawaii."
-- ABC7 Los Angeles- VeeVeroniqueB99@mastodon.socialJul 11, 2026, 10:29 PM
Jul 12, 2026, 6:18 AM@JeffGrigg @VeroniqueB99 Media forgets her name.
Phil 📸phil@newsie.socialJul 12, 2026, 7:00 AMShe is indeed a badass.
But for the media, who did interviews with her via Starlink along the way, it was a "too easy" accomplishment.
The issue isn't about Kelsey breaking records, it is about how the media treats amazing people who become too accessible to them.
The drama of record-setting exploration like this ls being measured on the same scale as YouTubers thru-hiking after soliciting equipment sponsorships.
This is in a completely different category.
Bärbel Schmidttarbonam@troet.cafeJul 12, 2026, 10:57 AM@phil @JeffGrigg @VeroniqueB99
And it might not be - a bit - cause she's a woman?
- Phil 📸phil@newsie.socialJul 12, 2026, 4:30 PM
@tarbonam @JeffGrigg @VeroniqueB99
I read a couple of articles about her and listened to an NPR radio interview while she was in the mid Pacific. Most, but not all, of the reporters covering her story were women.
There is at least as much misogyny in journalism as in the world at large. So did the fact that she's a woman impact the amount and placement of coverage she received? Sure.
Enema CowboyEnema_Cowboy@dotnet.socialJul 12, 2026, 12:48 PMOh cool, she's also a Grand Canyon river guide.
Jul 11, 2026, 11:49 PM@VeroniqueB99 I seem to recall seeing somewhere she’s established three things with this: fastest time ever (any gender), first female ever, fastest female ever.
Okay, maybe the first and last can be blurred, but those actually are different record entries, so I say it’s three in total.
- VeeVeroniqueB99@mastodon.socialJul 11, 2026, 11:55 PM
@IanAMartin wow 👀 that's incredible.👍
WesDymwesdym@mastodon.socialJul 12, 2026, 11:40 PM@IanAMartin Also youngest, apparently, though I don't know her age.
Flipper 🐬🏳️🌈🌹flipper@mastodonapp.ukJul 11, 2026, 11:59 PM@VeroniqueB99 i would kill for those arms.
- VeeVeroniqueB99@mastodon.socialJul 12, 2026, 12:02 AM
Correction: you would kill with those arms...🤣
Sam Van Horne, Ph.D.DataAngler@vis.socialJul 12, 2026, 1:21 AM@flipper @VeroniqueB99 Or, row
Duckbilled Plattypus.pattykimura@beige.partyJul 12, 2026, 12:02 AM@VeroniqueB99 The Pacific Ocean is a violent, unpredictable ocean, not "pacific" at all. This is truly an amazing and crazy feat. She halved the best female record, and beat the male record by 9 days. She rowed alone, and high waves pushed her backwards for miles, and she survived storms with 14 foot waves. She's a Grand Canyon River rower! She raised money (over $300k) for a foundation that provides mental and wellness health for other Grand Canyon River guides. Truly remarkable.
- VeeVeroniqueB99@mastodon.socialJul 12, 2026, 12:03 AM
WOW! I didn't know...she's amazing!
Jul 12, 2026, 5:10 AM@pattykimura @VeroniqueB99 Power to her!
Having been a guide on 3 private trip on the Grand Canyon (plus many other river trips), I could see where the pro guides could use some help. Its a lot of really strenuous physical work to get downriver, setup camp, cook, clean and pack every day. Plus each trip is a long time to be away from family, even though you're around (often, very lazy) customers.
Reginaldraganwald@social.bau-ha.usJul 12, 2026, 12:50 AM@VeroniqueB99 It made it to the front page of 🍊🕸️
- VeeVeroniqueB99@mastodon.socialJul 12, 2026, 12:54 AM
Jul 12, 2026, 1:04 AM43 days! FfS.
- VeeVeroniqueB99@mastodon.socialJul 12, 2026, 1:05 AM
Jul 12, 2026, 1:07 AMoh yeah? well i've tried every flavor of my grocery store's store brand ice cream
you tell me what is more impressive
- VeeVeroniqueB99@mastodon.socialJul 12, 2026, 3:02 PM
@benroyce 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 my bad.
Jul 12, 2026, 1:10 AMSo ... logistical question ... does she (and others of her particular brand of crazy!) sleep at all? Doesn't the boat drift when the "motor" is off?
I mean, she must 'cause ... 43 days is a long time with no sleep. Curious how that works when you are unsupported.
TattieTattie@eldritch.cafeJul 12, 2026, 7:40 AM@VE2UWY as I understand it one of the key talents for this challenge is being able to subsist on extraordinarily little sleep— just naps, basically, during which you won't drift too far off route.
@VeroniqueB99- Jul 12, 2026, 3:23 PM
OK. I can see that. Easier to deal with an hour of drift every few hours than 4 hours of drift. Thanks!
- WesDymwesdym@mastodon.socialJul 12, 2026, 11:39 PM
@VE2UWY 'Unsupported' means that you are on the boat for the entire time (sleeping or not), and do not receive extra supplies or assistance along the way. But such voyages are followed by observer vessels which can respond quickly in an emergency.
Yes, you do have to sleep, and unless you can anchor (which you usually can't in open ocean), the boat will drift, yes.
Jul 15, 2026, 7:12 PM@VE2UWY @VeroniqueB99 Yes, those boats have a crammed little cabin in which to sleep without falling out.
And packs of dehydrated food for sustenance that is usually mixed with water from a watermaker (miniature seawater desalinator).
Which also means pooping happens. Think about that :)
The main misconception people have is that there is much rowing across an ocean. There is not. They are drifting across an ocean with the tradewinds and currents. The rowing is primarily to stay on course rather than to move the boat towards the destination - that happens more or less on its own anyways.
Its still a feat because even in good weather there is usually enough sea to get smashed around a lot in such a tiny tub.
Ω 🌍 Gus PoseyGustodon@mas.toJul 12, 2026, 2:01 AM@VeroniqueB99 She tore that ocean UP.
Pseudo Nympseudonym@mastodon.onlineJul 12, 2026, 2:02 AMThank you for posting this. Criminally underreported indeed. This is the first I saw.
All I can say is "eff yeah! "
Good on her, and that's amazing.
Jul 12, 2026, 5:38 AMShe needs a world where she can still read her own 'Top Ten List of Reasons Why Women Choose the Boat' on Letterman as she makes the global talk circuit and gets tired of the people who introduce her in France saying, "and, sacrebleu, are my arms tired!"
Travis ScottWheresMyWater@mastodon.worldJul 12, 2026, 6:58 AM@VeroniqueB99 old rich men better buy laws on those bathing suit areas that they will never touch.
SecondUniverse (she/her/they)SecondUniverse@autistics.lifeJul 12, 2026, 10:56 AM@VeroniqueB99 can't help feeling if this had been a race, the terfs would have been demanding sex testing.
Jul 12, 2026, 2:07 PM@VeroniqueB99 I LOOOOOVE badass women!
Lloyd Lemonslloydlemons@me.dmJul 12, 2026, 2:35 PM@VeroniqueB99
Her accomplishments are beyond impressive!
ClaudioMclaudiom@bsd.networkJul 12, 2026, 4:06 PM@VeroniqueB99 My wife and I were watching her progress on IG. Amazing journey, and we were thrilled when she finally made it to Hawaii. A big congrats to her!
Mx VerdaMxVerda@lgbtqia.spaceJul 12, 2026, 9:30 PM@VeroniqueB99 the image will not load and bears no alt text
eestileib (she/hers)eestileib@tech.lgbtJul 12, 2026, 10:05 PMShe would steal far too many girlfriends so the patriarchy won't cover it.
- WesDymwesdym@mastodon.socialJul 12, 2026, 11:46 PM
@VeroniqueB99 Because OP supplied no alt-text:
"It has been criminally under-reported, but Kelsey Pfendler [US] has just rowed solo across the Pacific Ocean from the US coast [Monterrey, Calif.] to [Honolulu] Hawaii in record time. A 2400-mile [~ 3860 km] unsupported journey in 42 days, 17 hours, and 55 minutes. Notably beating the men's record by 9 whole days."
(The image is a Bsky post with a photo of her, with that text, which I've lightly edited.)
More info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelsey_Pfendler#Solo_Mid-Pacific_record_row_(2026)
- VeeVeroniqueB99@mastodon.socialJul 12, 2026, 11:47 PM
@wesdym TY! 🙏
Dane 🌎🖖✌️☮️⚛️☸️🕉️TheLastOfHisName@beige.partyJul 13, 2026, 2:15 AM"Give her a share in what her hands have worked for, and let her works tell her praises at the city gates." Proverbs 31:30
The Turtlethe_turtle@mastodon.sdf.orgJul 14, 2026, 6:18 PM@VeroniqueB99 people are distracted by a bunch of guys kicking each other's balls, and an orange criminal.
- Jul 15, 2026, 12:39 AM
@VeroniqueB99 show #norway a thing or two there! #worldcup
- VeeVeroniqueB99@mastodon.socialJul 15, 2026, 12:42 AM
@mweiss 🤣 👍