True Spirit: The Aussie girl who took on the world

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In an interview at the time, Watson said: “I wanted to challenge myself and achieve something to be proud of. And yes, I wanted to inspire people. A half-moon had risen, giving the sea a silvery sheen above the darkness below. After sunset, the still, glassy conditions of the afternoon had been blown away by a light wind from the west, and Ella’s Pink Lady was making good time under full sail with the mainsail, staysail, and headsail set. I couldn’t have asked for better conditions for my first night out. Watching Ella’s Pink Lady sail along at a steady 4 knots, I felt extremely proud of my cute little pink yacht. I contemplated the next few days before my circumnavigation. It was a beautiful night, and the thought of something going wrong was the farthest thing from my mind.

She told Entertainment Weekly, "The 15 ft. underwater is real because my emergency beacon did self-activate as the boat sank. That happened. But the time I was upside down for, it certainly felt like a long time. I haven't really got a concept of how long it was in reality, but we are talking seconds compared to what we see in the movie, which stretches on forever in minutes and minutes and minutes. That's a little bit of an exaggeration there, but it was real to the experience of it feeling like forever." It started with the trailer for the Netflix movie. I’m not normally drawn to “based on a true story” books or movies but that trailer immediately hooked me so when it finally released I watched the movie and needed to know more about Jessica Watson and her story! What an incredibly inspiring individual. I’m blown away by what she accomplished at only 16 and I enjoyed reading about every moment of her journey. Her dedication, passion, and grit at such a young age really goes to show that anyone can do anything if they dream big enough and want it bad enough. Which is the very message she wanted to convey throughout the course of her book. I feel so inspired to continue chasing my own dreams. To continue to dream big! If Jessica Watson, at the age of 16, can circumnavigate the entire world entirely alone, experiencing multiple near-death experiences, then I can write and publish those books. I can become my own boss and work for myself. I can improve my drawing and other creative abilities. If Jessica can do something as challenging as sail around the world, then I can accomplish my own dreams that just don’t seem as daunting in comparison. Not that my dreams aren’t just as important, they just seem so much more doable now! This book was smooth. It flowed smoothly from section to section, never once making me feel lost or rushed. It's not perfect, it's not flowery, descriptive writing that drives you on an emotional rollercoaster. Her parents and three siblings are supportive, as well as her sailing coach Ben (Cliff Curtis), but the rest of the world seems to be waiting to see her fail. Some simply state that the 16-year-old girl is incapable of sailing a ship by herself all the way around the world, but there are also child welfare groups that question whether her parents should be allowing her to do the challenge. But despite the worries of Roger (Josh Lawson) and Julie (Anna Paquin), they support her desire to be the youngest person to complete the journey.I know it for a fact that lots of people are inspired and encouraged by Jessica's spirits - determination and courage to realize their dreams. It is beyond doubt and it is also Jessica's initiative to write her blogs and publish the book. I could give you a million technical arguments, you know, my trip is no different to so many other people who have circumnavigated and you know become very famous for doing it," said Jessica, "but it's like I said, it doesn't worry me. There's always going to be someone out there who says something, and possibly because they just don't want to believe that it's possible for a 16-year-old to sail around the world." I loved this memoir of adventure and I wanted to read it before watching the Netflix movie adaption that is now available for viewing. Whilst reading this memoir I was very sad to hear that Jessica has suffered personal trauma in her life recently when her long-term partner suffered a catastrophic stoke at the age of 29, and passed away 6 weeks later. My heart goes out to this incredibly strong young woman. Did Jessica perform the tradition of dunking herself in salt water when she crossed the equator for the first time?

My favorite quote that Jessica wrote in one of her diary entries was "You are only as big as the dreams you dare to live.” This is a really good quote that inspires me to set goals because she has proven to me that if you work hard enough they can come true. This quote was one of her many words of wisdom but for me i can relate to this one most.True Spirit by Jessica Watson is the memoir of the Aussie girl who took on the world. At the age of 16, from October 2009 to May 2010, sailing her 34-foot yacht, Ella’s Pink Lady, Jessica circumnavigated the globe. This made her the youngest person to sail non-stop, solo, and unassisted around the world. The journey took her 240 days and she sailed 23,000 nautical miles. I was very grateful for the great team I had helping me and knew should I succeed, it would be because of their efforts.” Circumnavigating the globe is impressive as it is, but in Jessica's case, she was also a 16-year-old girl. In a year when most 16-year-olds were planking and doing the stanky leg, Jessica was sailing around the world solo. Earlier this month, Netflix premiered True Spirit, starring Titans' Teagan Croft as Jessica Watson. The movie also features Cliff Curtis, Anna Paquin, and Josh Lawson. True Spirit gives its viewers an honest and inspiring look at a remarkable story of determination and grit while also being littered with hits from the time, like Empire of the Sun's "Walking on a Dream," or "Geronimo" by Sheppard in a way that captures the essence of the early 2000s perfectly. I don't need a wish. I've got the ability to dream; that's all anyone needs to make their wishes and dreams come true. You don't need a shooting star, you can do it yourself."