Aug 13, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min · 20 segments
After becoming the first American woman to row solo across the mid-Pacific—and the fastest person ever to do it—Kelsey Pfendler joins us to discuss resilience, healing through adventure, and what the…
Kelsey PfendlerGuest
Cheryl StrayedHost
I don't really want to steal your thunder by saying what you achieved very recently.
Can you tell me and my listeners a little bit about what you've been up to over these last several months?
Well, May 21st, I launched from Monterey, California and rode solo and unsupported to Oahu, Hawaii.
And in doing so, I became the first American woman to do so and also broke the men's and women's record.
I mean, in short, you essentially achieved one of the most remarkable and amazing endurance feats in ocean rowing history, dare I say.
There's a lot of amazing people out there, but I think a lot of people connected with the story and I'm grateful for that.
And I mean, to say you tried your hardest, I mean, I love that's such a humble and beautiful thing to say.
And I know how true it is because I do think so many of the guests I talk to, you know, are champions and have done remarkable things like you.
But at the end of the day, I think for all of us, it's always like, did you try your hardest? And that's what it takes to be great, you know? And sometimes you try your hardest and you fail.
And I think that that is in some ways also a mark of achievement because isn't it, isn't it true? Like trying, you never know how it's going to turn out.
I don't really want to steal your thunder by saying what you achieved very recently.
Can you tell me and my listeners a little bit about what you've been up to over these last several months?
Well, May 21st, I launched from Monterey, California and rode solo and unsupported to Oahu, Hawaii.
And in doing so, I became the first American woman to do so and also broke the men's and women's record.
I mean, in short, you essentially achieved one of the most remarkable and amazing endurance feats in ocean rowing history, dare I say.
There's a lot of amazing people out there, but I think a lot of people connected with the story and I'm grateful for that.
And I mean, to say you tried your hardest, I mean, I love that's such a humble and beautiful thing to say.
And I know how true it is because I do think so many of the guests I talk to, you know, are champions and have done remarkable things like you.
But at the end of the day, I think for all of us, it's always like, did you try your hardest? And that's what it takes to be great, you know? And sometimes you try your hardest and you fail.
And I think that that is in some ways also a mark of achievement because isn't it, isn't it true? Like trying, you never know how it's going to turn out.
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