The Journey: How to Achieve Against the Odds - Softcover

When Debra Searle and her former husband Andrew signed up to compete in a double-handed rowing race across the Atlantic Ocean they believed their combination of skills would see them victorious over their all-male competitors. Yet during their first night in open waters they were confronted with a discovery that would leave their transatlantic bid in tatters: Andrew, an experience rower, was suffering from an uncontrollable fear of the ocean. Try as they might to overcome this, eventually Andrew realised he would have to give up. Seizing the opportunity to pit herself single-handedly against the ocean, novice rower Debra spent over three months tackling one of the world's toughest sporting challenges on her own, at the same time testing the limits of her psychological strength and endurance. Three other men's crews in the race had similar problems. One rower was rescued while the other rower continued solo. None of them made it across the Atlantic alone and yet Debra did. This is Debra's account of that solo journey, in which she dramatically conveys the feelings of exhilaration, the emotional lows, the inner calm, the loneliness, and the final triumph. The Journey explores the techniques Debra used to remain motivated and determined to finish despite the odds being stacked against her. She occasionally draws parallels between the strategies she used at sea and those she now uses in her working life on dry land - offered simply as a thought to ponder. Ultimately this book is about how to achieve against the odds. This beautiful coffee-table style book includes colour photography throughout.

Debra Searle MBE MA is a truly inspiration woman. Debra confounded the sceptics by rowing single-handedly across the Atlantic, after her husband and team mate was forced to retire suffering from an uncontrollable fear of the ocean.

Despite poor performance at school she found a way to tap into her potential and graduated from university with 1st Class Honours, founded her first company at the age of 23, is a published author and has represented Great Britain at World Championship level.

Debra is a regular presenter for the BBC, with credits including Grandstand, Extreme Lives, and Builders, Sweat and Tears.

Her spirit of adventure gained Debra an MBE from Her Majesty the Queen and she was delighted to be appointed a trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, the youngest and only female trustee working alongside His Royal Highness Duke of Edinburgh and His Royal Highness Earl of Wessex.

Debra is an experienced and dedicated motivational speaker working with some of the largest companies in the world. She is not a speaker reliant on buzz words, hype and jargon but uses her story to subtly draw out key business and personal lessons.

Debra's recent expeditions have included sailing around Antarctica and becoming the first Briton to complete the grueling Yukon River Quest with paddling partner Bruce Parry. In July 2007 she was one of only a few women to successfully complete L'Etape du Tour - a cycle race replicating the Pyrenees mountain stage of the Tour de France. The race took Debra just under 12 hours and took in 5 mountain peaks.The event raised over £110,000 for the CHASE Ben Hollioak Fund and Babes in Arms.

Debra grew up on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, England with her two older brothers and her identical twin sister. She has remarried and has returned to live in Devon with her husband Tim. She adores living in the Westcountry and particularly enjoys the surf and stunning countryside.