Adrienne Smith, World Record-Breaking Rower, Tells Her Stories About Winning the San Francisco-to-Hawaii Great Pacific Race Against All Odds
World class rowing champion Adrienne Smith will be the featured speaker at Ocean Institute’s Nicholas Endowment Distinguished Speaker Series on Wednesday, May 3, from 6 pm – 8 pm. Doors open at 5:30 pm. General admission is $10; students (with valid ID) and OI members are free.
Smith is a member of the LAT35 Women’s Racing team that competed in the San Francisco-to-Hawaii Great Pacific Race. The team of four women endurance athletes rowed more than 2,400 nautical miles in 34 days, 14 hours, and 11 minutes last summer, breaking the existing women’s world record of 35 days, 12 hours, and 22 minutes, to become the fastest all-female team to complete the trip.
The race was the team’s first time rowing across an ocean and first time rowing in deep water. Smith, 42, an endurance sports athlete for more than 14 years, was the last of four women to join the LAT35 team and the only member who was not a rower beforehand.
Throughout their grueling journey aboard their small rowboat, the 39’ by 5’ American Spirit, they battled many physical, emotional, and logistical challenges including seasickness, extreme weather, and rough seas. Smith has said that competing in the race was an opportunity to do something special and extraordinary. As a presenter of Ocean Institute’s Distinguished Speaker Series Smith will share her experiences and life lessons learned from the adventure.
Purchase your tickets today at oceaninstitute.org.
About Ocean Institute and the Nicholas Endowment Distinguished Speaker Series
The Ocean Institute’s Distinguished Speaker Series, presented by the Nicholas Endowment, brings interesting innovations, real-world research, exotic experiences, and delightful discoveries to the surface through presentations from an ocean of experts,
Ocean Institute, founded in 1977, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers in-depth marine science, maritime history, and outdoor education programs. Its mission is to use the ocean as its classroom to inspire children to learn. Ocean Institute provides high-quality science education about marine life, conservation and the habitats and species of the California Pacific Coast. Ocean Institute’s diverse program inventory includes STEM programs aligned with California’s content standards. Learn more at oceaninstitute.org.
