US female rower completes historic solo journey from California to Hawaii

Kelsey Pfendler, a Grand Canyon river-rafting guide, arrived in Honolulu harbor on Friday night after nearly a month and a half at sea, completing a record-breaking solo journey from California to Hawaii. She launched from Monterey, California in May on her 21-foot rowboat "Lily", aiming to become the first US woman, the youngest woman, and the fastest woman to cover the more than 2,400-mile (3,900 km) route alone.

Hundreds of people cheered her arrival, and hundreds of thousands followed her journey on social media. Pfendler shared video diaries detailing the highs and lows, including blistered hands, difficulty sleeping in stiff winds, and coping with unfavorable currents. She also showed how she cooked, protected her skin, washed clothes, and made fresh water.

According to Ocean Rowing Society International records, Pfendler finished in under 44 days, beating the previous women's speed record of 86 days and the men's record of 52 days. The organization had not yet officially confirmed the records. Two days earlier, marathon swimmer Catherine Breed began a 900-mile swim aiming to become the first person to swim California's entire coast.

Pfendler's team did not immediately respond to interview requests. In a recent video near Oahu, she reflected: "If any part of this made at least one person feel a little bit more powerful in their own skin, I couldn’t ask for anything else." She encouraged others to find their own "big, hard, scary thing" and start it, even if they don't feel strong enough to finish.