70 year old grandma sails into the record books
70 year old grandma sails into the record books as the oldest woman to circumnavigate the globe.
70 year old Grandma Jeanne Socrates has become the oldest female in the world to have sailed solo, non-stop around the globe, as well as being the first woman of any age to complete a solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation from North America, all in aid of supporting the work of Marie Curie Cancer Care.
After spending eight months at sea, Jeanne touched down in Victoria, British Columbia yesterday, completing her third attempt at the impressive feat and cementing her name in the record books. Her epic journey has seen her travel more than 25,000 miles.
Jeanne’s route has not been an easy one and she has sailed via four of the great southern capes; Cape Horn (Chile), Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), Cape Leeuwin (Western Australia) and the South East Cape of Tasmania. All are notorious headlands at the bottom of the world and have fearsome reputations for extremely strong winds strong currents, as well as giant waves.
Speaking about her journey, Jeanne Socrates, said:
“It’s been a tough eight months with some pretty harsh times to contend with, but it’s all for a good cause.”
“The work Marie Curie does for those approaching the end of their lives is absolutely fantastic and their nurses are truly inspirational people. I hope that what I’ve done inspires others to do amazing things to raise money for them.”
Dr Jane Collins, Marie Curie Chief Executive, said:
“Jeanne is an extraordinarily courageous woman and this is one of the most adventurous feats anyone has ever attempted for Marie Curie. She has literally gone the extra mile in her quest to raise money and awareness of the work we do and we’re so thankful to her.
“All the money raised will go towards helping us deliver much needed care to people approaching the end of their lives, providing them with free nurses either at home or in one of our hospices.”
Jeanne has had to face many obstacles during her journey, including the complete failure of her computers, a broken sat phone, and failed radar to name but a few. Her only way of communicating with family and friends back home has been via the use of a basic two-way radio.
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