Four Rowers — All Women — Just Made History Sailing From California To Hawaii

Four rowers have a lot to celebrate! After rowing for more than a month straight, the all-women team arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii. In doing so, they broke a world record, inspired millions, and reminded us that we can do hard things.

On Tuesday, July 26, 2022, four rowers reached the shores of Honolulu, Hawaii, after setting sail over a month ago in San Francisco, California. Libby Costello, Sophia Denison-Johnston, Brooke Downes, and Adrienne Smith started their journey in June, intending to make it to Hawaii with no breaks and no assistance, in only their rowing boat.

After 34 days, 14 hours, and 11 minutes, the women, who are part of Lat 35 Racing, completed their goal. According to Good Morning America, they covered more than 2,400 nautical miles across the ocean in just over a month.

The trek, called The Great Pacific Race, is considered "one of the toughest races on Earth." Crossing the Pacific, the team of four lived on their rowing boat, never stepped off, and braved strong winds, rough seas, and seasickness for the full 34 days. They relied on boil-to-order meals, eating 4,000 to 6,000 calories a day. The team rowed in two-hour shifts and only slept for an average of 90 minutes daily. In other words: They were tough.

Their toughness paid off because now they hold the world record for the fastest four-rower woman's team to complete The Great Pacific Race. When they arrived in Hawaii, they were met by fans who had followed along with the race on social media, where the athletes were giving regular updates — amazing photos and track of their progress can be seen on their Instagram.

"I feel totally overwhelmed in the best way by love. And I'm also exhausted," Denison-Johnston told Good Morning America. The team hopes those who followed their journey can take away the message that everyone can do hard things.

"I think something that I want people to take away is that these women are so incredible, but we're not superhuman," Downes said. "There's nothing that we were born with that makes us any different than anybody else." For Costello, she was thankful the team "inspired a bunch of different types of people," adding that it was "really important" that they were able to do that.

The team also used their historic row to raise money for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.