This is Sarah Outen. Check out her other photos on her flickr site, and you will instantly get a sense of joie de vivre from this brave British adventurer. She is impressive, fun and fabulous.
And frankly utterly certifiable.
Sarah is currently on the coast of Japan, and on tenterhooks, waiting for a break in the weather. She is preparing to set off on the latest leg of London2London, her incredible round the world expedition by kayak, bicycle and ocean rowing boat. This section of her dangerous journey is a real biggie - a record breaking solo row across the North Pacific. That's the widest bit of the Pacific. With no convenient islands to break the journey or offer sactuary. Completely alone, and completely under her own steam. She will be the first woman to do this, ever.
If you've read A Dip in the Ocean, Sarah's riveting tale of her solo row across the Indian Ocean, you will no doubt already be picturing all too close encounters with container ships that could spell a sudden and lonely death, and imagining the isolation of spending so many months alone, with no engine to take you home at the flick of a switch, just your own aching muscles. You may also remember that Sarah is scared of deep water!
So what drives her? Sarah is a true adventurer, and passionate about using her experiences to educate and inspire us all about this planet we all call home - the wildlife and the people, the threats they face, and what we can all do to help mitigate those threats.
She's a class act, no doubt about it. Go, Sarah!