Summary: More people have walked on the moon than run the Amazon—the world’s largest river—from the source to the sea. And Darcy Gaechter is the only woman to have done so in a kayak. The journey required Darcy and her two expedition-mates to paddle for five months over 4,000 river miles across the wildest portions of South America. This voyage included starting at an elevation of 15,000 feet where the river was a trickle and ending at sea level on the Atlantic coast where the waterway’s mouth is over 30 miles wide, paddling through sections known for foreigners being killed by drug cartel members, dealing with some of the most difficult whitewater on earth, and paddling for days on end into the searing sun that disintegrated their fingernails. Now a best-selling author of the acclaimed book Amazon Woman, Darcy shares stories of courage and kindness as she leaves us with inspiration to pursue and realize our own dreams. In this episode, Darcy invites us to find the common humanity in those we encounter, even those we may not always agree with; to not turn down the volume on your passions, no matter what; to seek out and find energy from those people who support your dreams; to work hard at what you love in order to realize the benefits that this pursuit will bring; to use your voice in order to inspire others to live passionately and purposefully, and to recognize the importance of connection to the wilderness and those we share the planet with as an ultimate life reward.
