Abby Sunderland

"The seriousness of my situation started to sink in, and again I fought panic. I pushed it down, but it was harder this time, like my insides were an open can of shaken soda and I was trying to keep it…"

"I am twelve thousand miles wiser, twelve thousand miles more resilient, and I have twelve thousand miles more faith in God."

"The swells were amazing! As big as three-story apartment buildings!"

"It seems like people my age are over-protected today, even to the point where a lot of parents refuse to put their kids in the position to make important decisions, to aspire to great things, because …"

"It was like a horrible movie clip, only worse, because I could feel it—not just see it."

"One day that same year, I told my dad that someday, I would sail around the world alone."

"I wanted to break the record, of course, and become the youngest person to sail around the world solo and unassisted."

"Just like that, a single phone call erased one possible, horrendous future—and replaced it with the bright certainty that God had answered the prayers of thousands and that their beloved Abby was comi…"