Upstate New York Woman Crushes Impossible World Record

An Upstate New York woman just accomplished something no person has ever done faster.

A 32-year-old woman from Boonville in Upstate New York just did something no human being has ever done faster.

Upstate New York Woman Shatters World Record, Becomes Fastest Solo Rower Ever From California To Hawaii

Kelsey Pfendler rowed solo across 2,400 miles of open Pacific Ocean from Monterey, California to Honolulu, Hawaii, completing the journey in just 43 days, 17 hours, and 55 minutes. When she arrived at Oahu's Ala Wai Harbor, she not only shattered the women's record, but the men's record too.

She is now the fastest solo rower ever to complete this journey.

The Records She Just Shattered

The previous women's record for this crossing was 86 days, set by Lia Ditton. Pfendler cut that nearly in half. The men's speed record stood at 52 days. She beat that by more than eight days.

On top of the speed records, Pfendler became the first American woman and the youngest person to ever complete this route entirely alone and unassisted.

Who Is Kelsey Pfendler?

A graduate of Adirondack High School, Pfendler works as a professional river-rafting guide in the Grand Canyon.

She made the crossing in a 21-foot specialized ocean rowboat named Lily, packing every ounce of food and equipment herself before launching from Monterey on May 21. Because the voyage was entirely unsupported, she used manual tools to convert seawater into drinking water throughout the journey.

For all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing, make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, and download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile App

She averaged just two and a half hours of sleep per night, rowing deep into the early morning hours every single day. On multiple occasions she had to dive into the open ocean to scrape barnacles off the hull of her boat. Barnacles slow the vessel down and could have cost her the record.

Under her social media handle @yourowkelsey, Pfendler documented the entire journey with daily video updates from her 132-square-foot boat, amassing nearly 800,000 followers in the process.

Her posts captured everything. From the psychological grind of isolation, the physical exhaustion, to the occasional lighter moments, like hanging laundry on a makeshift clothesline strung across the deck, or a surprise mid-ocean birthday serenade from a passing U.S. Coast Guard crew.

When she finally pulled into Honolulu Harbor, hundreds of fans were waiting on the docks with phone lights and flower leis to welcome her back to dry land.

@yourowkelsey Final stretch! Estimated arrival for Kelsey is between 9pm-11pm local time, 12am-2am PDT. Keep an eye out on Instagram/Facebook Stories for the most up to date information on her arrival and live stream! Kelsey is rowing to raise funds for the Whale Foundation, an organization whose mission is to support, restore, and celebrate the health and well-being of the Grand Canyon river guiding community. Links to learn more and donate are in the bio. @Concept2 @Recpak ♬ original sound - YouRowKelsey

The 10 Best Counties To Live In New York State

Is your hometown's county considered by Niche one of the best in New York State?

17 Eateries The Hudson Valley Has Lost In 2024

Hudson Valley Businesses That Have Closed in 2024

Owning a business is hard these days. While some business owners are simply stepping into their next big phase of retirement, some longstanding, beloved businesses have faced less-welcomed closures. Here's a list of some of the Hudson Valley eateries we already miss this year.

Gallery Credit: Arianne Rogers