In December 2026, Katie Spotz will attempt a 10,000-mile solo Pacific row — aiming to become the 1st woman to row solo from South America to Australia and the 1st American woman to row solo across the whole Pacific — to help bring clean water to 100,000 people.

A Long Row for Water

A yellow autonomous boat with solar panels and various equipment on board, floating on water, with a person partially visible in the foreground.

Katie first made history in 2010 as the youngest person to row an ocean solo. That journey helped bring clean water to tens of thousands of people worldwide and showed what was possible when endurance is paired with purpose.

Now, she returns to the oars for her boldest challenge yet: a solo, unsupported crossing of the Pacific Ocean from Lima, Peru to Cairns, Australia.

Woman standing on a boat, smiling, wearing a black jacket and pink leggings, with the sky and water in the background during sunset.

For eight months, Katie will live alone in a 24-foot boat, battling storms, isolation, sleep deprivation, and waves reaching over 40 feet with no support crew and no margin for error.

But this row is not just about survival. It’s about impact. The same ocean that threatens to break her is the one she rows to help others access something most of us take for granted: clean water.

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