Rowing It Alone

by Debra Searle, Chay Blythe (Foreword)

When Debra Searle and her former husband Andrew Veal entered the 3,000 mile Atlantic Rowing Race they believed that their profound knowledge of each other would give them the edge over the other – mainly male – competitors. Yet during their first night in open waters they were confronted with a discovery that would leave their Atlantic bid in tatters: Andrew, an experienced rower, was suffering from an uncontrollable fear of the ocean. Try as they might to overcome this, by day eight Andrew’s distress had become unbearable for both of them. After a night of soul-searching, Andrew resolutely decided to give up.

Debra should have bowed out of the race with her husband and team-mate, but she was relishing the journey and wanted to see how far she could go as a solo-rower. Word of Debra’s adventure led to international press coverage and she then received thousands of text messages from well-wishers who were keenly following her progress. Against all the odds, after 112 days, Debra completed the 3,000 mile voyage and landed in Barbados.

Rowing it Alone is Debra’s deeply personal account of her epic adventure – both in terms of distance and emotional growth. She explores her motivation and the reserves of solid determination that literally kept her afloat in the face of physical dangers and emotional lows. She shares her moments of sheer peace and happiness, away from the bustle of modern living. Debra’s honesty and warm personality shine through in this inspiring story. She reveals how her achievement has affected her life – and marriage – and talks about how it feels to succeed against the odds.

This is so much more than a book about rowing – it is about the adventure of life and love and the challenge of commitment.

213 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2014

Reviews

[Lana E. Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard of Debra Searle and her amazing story of rowing solo across the Atlantic from Debra herself when she was giving an inspirational speech at a corporate event in a company I work for. I found it deeply moving and knew at once that I wanted to read her story in full. I finally got my hands on this book at the end of March 2020.

The book is well written, highly inspiring and motivating. It is an incredible story. For a person like me who can barely swim in a pool, the idea of spending four months in the ocean on one's own, surfing the waves in a 24ft rowing boat is simply unimaginable. But her story is not just one of the incredible adventure, it is a story of a soul-searching ride through the emotional rollercoaster, a story of admirable bravery and unexpected revelations. It is a story one can learn and draw inspiration from, no matter what they are going through in their life.

[PatriciaBMoore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted to read her full story after hearing Debra speak. A fascinating adventure. Great story about determination and perseverance, as well as the importance of having a supportive community.

[marion jennette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational

A fabulous read, Debra is amazing rowng alone. A very honest interesting read. Loved it I couldn't put it down.

[Alex Wheeler]

She spoke to CREW Network on International Women’s Day, excited to read her book!