Women Inspiring Women: Team SCA

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Thirteen women. One boat. Nine months. Team SCA has embarked on the trip of a lifetime -a life-changing ocean adventure spanning five continents and 38,739 nautical miles. These women have come from all different backgrounds and walks of life and have taken on one of the most challenging environments on the planet as they aim to become the first all-female team to win the toughest and most demanding ocean races -the Volvo Ocean Race.

Team SCA’s journey began in October of 2014 in the port of Alicante, Spain. They are now almost 7 months and 30,000 nautical miles into the race and will finish the last of their nine legs with a final in-port race on June 27, 2015 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Not only is this the first all-female team in the past decade, but it’s also the first time there is a completely level playing field amongst teams. Each team is competing using the same boat (The Volvo Ocean 65, or VO65), meaning all sails, all design elements are fixed and no changes could be made by any team.

As with any major race, the crew needs to be in their best physical shape to endure the challenges they face on their journey. The stresses of life at sea typically cause crew members to see a drop of 15 to 20% in their strength, cardio and flexibility levels. To prepare for this, the women trained for almost two years prior to the race kick-off, to acquire the strength needed physically and mentally for the nine months they are spending upon a 65-foot boat, often in grueling conditions. The women trained for 60-90 minutes a day, 6 times a week, as well as added training specific to their job on board the boat.

Follow along with some of Team SCA’s workout moves here:

The pure strength and fierceness of these fifteen women is so completely inspiring to me. They reaffirm the fact that, yes, if we put our mind to something and put in the necessary hard work and blood, sweat, and tears, anything is possible. We can achieve our goals, no matter how far off they seem at the beginning of our journey. No more excuses!

“Everything is possible, just work hard and take the opportunities you have.” — ​Justine Mettraux Read more about the inspiring individual stories of Team SCA, including three Americans, Sara Hastreiter (age 30, from Wyoming) and Sally Barkow (age 34, from Wisconsin), and Sophie Ciszek (age 30, dual citizen of US/Australia). Other amazing members of Team SCA include Dee Caffari (GBR), the only woman to have sailed solo both ways around the world (both east and west); two moms, Abby Ehler (GBR and AUS) and Carolijn Brouwer (NED), who both have young sons; and Elodie-Jane and Justine Mettraux, the first two sisters to sail this race. View bios for each team member and find more team information on the Team SCA blog, here.

There are amazing women everywhere. Is there a woman in particular who inspires you? Maybe your mother? A teacher? Your best friend? Your trainer? Share her story with us in the comments below and submit her story and photo on Team SCA’s photo mosaic.  Be prepared to be even more inspired once you see all the amazing women!

SCA believes that everyone should have the opportunity to live life to the fullest, and we are committed to creating value for people and nature. To champion these ideals, SCA launches Amazing Women Everywhere, to celebrate women who have a positive impact on others.

The women of SCA’s all-female racing team, Team SCA, exemplify this spirit. They have come from all walks of life and backgrounds to take on one of the world’s most challenging endeavors, the Volvo Ocean Race. For nine months, their journey of hard work and determination will inspire millions around the world. Follow along with Team SCA on Facebook!

We aim to gather thousands of stories from all over the world and inspire thousands more by illustrating that amazing women truly are everywhere. Visit http://www.teamsca.com/awemosaic to submit a photo of an amazing woman in your life.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SCA. The opinions and text are all mine.

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