Katie Spotz Hopes to Be Youngest to Row Across Atlantic Ocean

Katie Spotz has a dangerous road ahead of her. Her road is paved with water that cannot quench a thirst and is sure to feature a huge variety of speed bumps along the way, but will hopefully end in history.

On December 27, Katie will embark on a solo row across the Atlantic Ocean, a feat that will keep her at sea for about three months and see her travel 2,473 miles from Senegal, Africa to French Guiana on the northeastern tip of South America.

If she completes the trip, the 22-year-old would become the youngest person to ever row solo across the Atlantic and the only American to row solo from Africa to South America.

Departing on a 19-foot, solar-panel equipped vessel, Katie has made all the necessary precautions to get her ready for the journey. While her boat is equipped with many tools to ensure a successful trip across the Atlantic -- including cargo space for 70-100 days of food and gear, a self-righting design that can take on 30-foot waves, and all the necessary electronics to map her route and pinpoint her location -- her biggest asset on the trip is her mental toughness and past experience in adventure and endurance sports.

In an interview with The Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Spotz discussed the physical and mental strain that this trip will put on her body and mind.

"There comes a point where no matter how physically fit you are, you do break down. There comes a point where you're sore, you're fatigued, you're exhausted, and there needs to be something more that keeps you going. I find that's what drives me and keeps me coming back for more -- understanding it's really more of a mental challenge than anything."

Katie Spotz attempts solo row of Atlantic

While the solo row will certainly be her biggest challenge, Katie is no stranger to adventure. She was the first person to swim the entire length of the 352-mile Allegheny River, she averaged 85 miles a day in a 3,300-mile, 40-day bicycle ride from Seattle to Washington D.C., and she ran 150 miles by herself across California's Mojave and Colorado deserts. She has competed in triathlons and marathons that stretch from the United States to Australia.

Katie is attempting this dangerous task to raise awareness for those around the globe who do not have access to clean drinking water. She hopes to raise $30,000 in donations for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, a San Francisco based non-profit organization dedicated to providing clean drinking water for impoverished areas around the world.