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A trailblazer at sea

Nicole Fallert   Paste BN

Cole Brauer was angry. Technology on her 40-foot sailboat was faltering. Her body was feeling the brunt of a 30,000-mile sailing voyage, her ribs hurting and mindful strength waning. She was totally alone with a dream still far from realization.

"I'm not superwoman," Brauer told her 500,000-strong Instagram audience at the time, seemingly holding back tears.

But she did do the impossible. Brauer pushed through the agony of that moment in December to become the first American woman to sail nonstop around the world. The journey delivered challenges — and waves — bigger than most people would ever see. She finished the voyage in Spain earlier this month, and now she's back on land processing what the journey means for herself and other women in the sport.

👋 Nicole Fallert here and welcome to Your Week, our newsletter exclusively for Paste BN subscribers (that's you!). This week, we talk with reporter Claire Thornton about their exclusive interview for Paste BN with Brauer about her record-setting sail. The tale of Brauer's resilience and inspiration is a fitting conversation for Women's History Month.

But first, don't miss these stories made possible by your Paste BN subscription:

'It's like going to Mars and hoping that you can breathe'

Claire Thornton has been glued to Cole Brauer's Instagram for weeks. The sailor posted dozens of video dispatches from her sailboat as she embarked on a four-month nonstop race around the world. As a journalist, Thornton was curious who Brauer really was beyond her title as a world-class athlete: A young woman from Long Island, New York, in a male-dominated sport trying to be the best at her craft.

"I really wanted to hear from her about what this one of a kind lifetime accomplishment was like," Thornton said. "I approached it with a real curiosity of what was it like to be in the four corners of the world, the most treacherous oceans to travel."

What struck Thornton about Brauer, whom they spoke with for an exclusive Paste BN interview this month, is that the sailor is extremely cool. Amid new fame and an overwhelming finish of the race, Brauer's physical and mental resilience in the face of adversity is outstanding. She fought walls of waves. She administered her own IV when she became dehydrated. She slept two to four hours a day so she could repair her boat. She saw only the open ocean for days on end without any sign of life. And even now that she's back on land, she maintains the authentic tone she expressed online while at sea, keeping her cool in a storm of new attention.

Chatting with Brauer not only inspired Thornton to explore sailing lessons but also illustrated why the sailor "blew up" so much on Instagram: She's a truly unique person taking on an adventure most people could never imagine. As another person in their late 20s, Thornton related to Brauer's audience of young viewers inspired to be their best.

While Brauer's accolade aptly landed during Women's History Month, Thornton said Brauer would want to remind you that her success stands on the legs of many female sailors before her who have voyaged nonstop around the world. Because other female sailors from other countries broke barriers, she was able to become the first American to achieve the title. Now, Brauer hopes to use her new influence to make sailing more accessible for LGBTQ+ people and women.

"Cole is truly a trailblazer," Thornton said. "When you look at who she's surrounded by, she doesn't fit into the stereotype."

Thank you

I'm inspired to look up some sailing lessons this summer thanks to Cole's story. Definitely check out her Instagram — her videos of the race are beyond impressive! Thank you for supporting our journalism with your subscription. Our work wouldn't be possible without you. 

Best wishes, 

Nicole Fallert

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