Alone The First Australian Women to Row the Atlantic Ocean

68 days, 12 hours, 49 minutes. In 2018 Michelle Lee became the first Australian woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. It took two years of preparation for the 68-day, 5,000km journey—Solo details this extraordinary adventure from her perspective. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean is never an easy undertaking, but people have been making the journey for hundreds of years. The very first crossings were made to discover and explore new lands. Today, most crossings are made by huge cargo ships exporting essential commodities across the ocean. But some daring people choose to cross the Atlantic to test the limit of their physical and mental strength—to achieve something unthinkable. Each year in December, waiting for an end to the hurricane season, rowers depart from La Gomera, Spain and arrive in Antigua, in the Caribbean. No motor, no sails—a journey powered only by rowing. It was from this port that Michelle sailed into the history books, achieving what few have before her and marking the start of a new chapter in her life encouraging others to live without regret and not die wondering.

Michelle Lee encompasses the spirit of adventure and values her freedom—above all else. Twelve years in corporate banking and an end to a long-term relationship were the impetus to Michelle giving up her career, along with society’s expectations, and turn to a life of adventure. Trekking the 100km Kokoda trail in 2012 sparked Michelle’s love for extreme adventures requiring uttermost physical fitness, mental resilience, and self-discipline. Michelle holds the world record for the fastest woman to row one million metres on a Concept 2 rowing machine.