Sunday, April 7, 2024

The Girl who Touched the Stars

Let's paddle around Australia on a surf ski. This is what Bonnie Hancock did in 2022. It took her 254 days including occasional breaks on land to break the record. She also broke the record for covering the greatest distance in 24 hours - 235 km. The Girl Who Touched the Stars is Bonnie Hancock's account of her journey.

In the book Bonnie tells how the expedition came about, discusses the assistance she received from many people to achieve her aim, writes about the loyal teams of people who accompanied her on all or some of the trip, the encouragement that she received during the journey, not just from her team but also people that she met along the way.

Bonnie was not alone on her journey. There was a motor vehicle following her progress on the road. There was a catamaran or other craft close by at all times and there was also a jet ski ridden by members of her team offering her encouragement when conditions allowed. Her husband, Matt, gave up his job to accompany her on the trip and ensure that everything went smoothly. COVID restrictions still existed for part of the trip which presented additional challenges. Other team members who stayed with her for the entire trip included Brad, Jaime and Ben while her coach, Mike, came out for part of the trip. The experiences of the voyage were filmed to be included in a film launched this month.

When writing the book, Bonnie Hancock is very frank about her experiences and thoughts during the trip. There were numerous times when she thought about giving up. When the seas were rough she was constantly seasick. For much of the journey she was paddling into the wind. She was also aware that for part of the journey she was paddling through waters inhabited by sharks, crocodiles and sea snakes. Her back ached and her hands became raw from paddling. The weather was very cold for part of the trip and very hot at other times. However there were also good experiences that she would never forget including real friendship as well as coming in close contact with the natural environment.

This is a book about facing challenges and testing oneself to achieve something that you really want to do. Bonnie had one chance to undertake this challenge and she was determined that despite the odds that she, with the help of her team, would achieve.

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