Taryn Smith’s passion for the ocean blossomed while she was living in landlocked Nebraska, where the allure of open-water adventures captured her imagination as a young adult in Omaha.
Now 25, Taryn was inspired by a remarkable article about an all-female rowing team that achieved a world record in the Great Pacific Race in 2022, rowing from Monterrey, California, to Hawaii in just 34 days. This ignited a spark within her.
“I just remember thinking it sounded like the most amazing thing in the entire world,” Taryn shared, reflecting on the record-breaking team. “I wanted to do something big in my 20s. I wanted to spend the rest of my life knowing that I was capable of something like this.”
Determined to pursue a similar challenge, Taryn began exploring opportunities and stumbled upon the World’s Toughest Row—a daunting 3,000-mile rowing race from the Canary Islands, located off the western coast of Africa, to Antigua in the Caribbean Sea.
And she made the brave decision to tackle this adventure solo.
While her grandparents had sailing experience, Taryn had much to learn. She left her job in human resources and dedicated three years to intensive training, spending time in the United Kingdom and living exclusively on her rowboat for weeks at a time. She knew she needed to form a deep connection with the water, as it would soon be her only companion.
“Taryn seems to know no fear,” her mother, Shelly Smith, remarked. “She has always been a kid that thrives on adventure. She just really likes that challenge.”
On December 14, Taryn stood at the starting line alongside 42 other teams from 20 different countries, ready to embark on her Atlantic crossing. The journey was anticipated to take around two months, with Taryn rowing alone for 10 to 12 hours each day.
Daily challenges arose, but Day 27 truly tested her limits. After developing hives from the sun and struggling with sleep deprivation, she found herself in tears that morning, battling fatigue while her boat rocked on increasingly monstrous waves from an approaching storm.
“Absolutely, huge waves,” she recounted in an Instagram video from that day. “A wave would come just gushing over the deck and would literally knock me out of my shoes. It was scary. It was really, really scary. I think this is the first day I felt properly terrified since being out here.”
Adding to her struggles, a menacing marlin shadowed her boat for miles. Yet, she pushed through all the adversity. By the end of the day, she had overcome the Atlantic’s challenges while making significant progress on her journey.
“It’s been a really hard day, but I am really proud of the effort that I put in today because it’s been a fast day and I’ve covered a lot of ground and I kept rowing,” she shared on Instagram. “Now it’s more comfortable to row than it is to try to sleep. I’m listening to Harry Potter (in my headphones). So all in all, life is good…”
Throughout her incredible journey, Taryn partnered with Girls on the Run, raising funds for the non-profit organization and inspiring others along the way.
