34 year old Victoria Murden 3

of Louisville, Kentucky embodies an all-American 4

spirit of adventure, but with her video camera rolling, 5

her quest to push the limits 6

of her own endurance nearly killed her. 7

I've been thirsty and I've been hungry 8

and God knows I'm scared. 9

Normally, Tori is accustomed 10

to racing on calmer waters. 11

But in October 1997, she was approached by Sector, 12

an Italian company known for 13

its extreme, no-limits competition. 14

(air horn blares) 15

The challenge, to be the first woman 16

to row solo across an ocean. 17

The proposition was intimidating, 18

to row the North Atlantic going west to east 19

is no cake walk. 20

(air horn blares) 21

On June 14th, Tori Murden took 22

the first strokes in a 3,600 mile odyssey 23

from North Carolina to France 24

aboard a 23-foot boat she named "The American Pearl". 25

I knew that, okay, in the next three months, 26

it's just me in this boat on this wide, wide piece of water. 27

That is my dessert for the evening. 28

Tori packed 120 freeze-dried meals 29

and a solar-powered desalinator provided fresh water. 30

At the end of 58 days, Tori had rowed 31

more than halfway across the Atlantic. 32

But of all the obstacles she faced, 33

none proved more menacing than the fury of the sea. 34

(crashing) 35

And I'd been through some pretty heavy storms 36

and capsized three times. 37

You'll have to take my word for it, these waves 38

are just a little too big. 39

When Tori did capsize, "The American Pearl" 40

was designed to right itself and though terrified, 41

her water-proof cabin kept her safe. 42

A big wave would come over the top 43

and it would spin the boat. 44

And I'd be upside down for a couple of seconds 45

and the boat would rock and then it would 46

eventually roll back upright. 47

I'm outside and I'm alive! 48

For inspiration, Tori kept 49

a piece of home close by. 50

That little flag on that boat took such a beating 51

and it was so comforting to look out on deck 52

in the morning and see that flag still there. 53

But the weather steadily worsened 54

and while we breathed a sign of relief 55

as Hurricane Danielle passed by the East Coast, 56

on September 5th, Tori was brutally engulfed by the storm. 57

6:30 a.m., I'm definitely in something 58

big and bad and ugly. 59

30-foot waves slammed into Tori's boat, 60

tossing her like a ragdoll. 61

(squeaking) 62

Smash into the boat and there would be this chaos 63

that would ensue of the boat turning 64

and things flying around the cabin. 65

(crashing) 66

Last capsize, I took the rib off the top 67

of my ceiling with my back. 68

I was absolutely sure that i was not going 69

to live through the storm. 70

I was absolutely convinced that my life was over. 71

I mean I'm gonna live or I'm gonna die 72

on the whim of nature. 73

And that's it, huh? 74

Frightened, Tori uttered 75

what she thought may have been her last words. 76

Go ahead and chase your dreams. 77

I mean they don't always work out right 78

but go ahead and chase your dreams. 79

You gotta do it. 80

Though fear was evident in her eyes 81

and in her voice, Tori resisted 82

activating her distress beacon. 83

And I thought, I can't ask another human being 84

to come out into this storm and get me. 85

I've lost track of the number of capsizes. 86

But after 11 capsizes in 12 hours, 87

and a severe shoulder injury, Tori signaled for help. 88

I was so badly beaten that, you know, 89

I didn't think I could make it through another storm. 90

The container ship, "Independent Spirit", 91

en route to Philadelphia, came to her rescue 92

and plucked her from the churning seas, 93

some 900 miles from France. 94

I was fighting back tears 'cause I thought 95

this is the wrong shore and this is the wrong boat. 96

But the folks in Philadelphia 97

gave Tori a hero's welcome. 98

And I was dumbfounded because in my mind 99

I had failed to do what I set out to do 100

but we all face oceans. 101

We all run into those big waves. 102

We all hit storms and it doesn't seem 103

like you're gonna make it through. 104

You will. 105

(water splashing)