Nurse From Missouri Kayaks The Mississippi River In Record Time
Traci Lynn Martin has been a lot of things in life, including a nurse and a survivor of two autoimmune diseases, and now she’s also a world record holder.
Back on May 17, Martin started her kayaking journey at Lake Itasca in Minnesota, at the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
Her goal? To become the fastest female solo paddler on the Mississippi River. She started on May 17 and didn’t stop until she arrived at the Head of Passes in Louisiana 45 days later.
45 days, 8 hours and 17 minutes later, to be exact.
“According to Martin, the journey wasn’t a smooth ride, to say the least. She faced many obstacles on the water. Beaver dams, bug bites, barges, and ships on the river were just some of the obstacles she dealt with. One thing that kept Martin afloat and paddling through was her passion to inspire others ‘to keep on going on.’
Although Martin suffers from two autoimmune diseases that take a toll on her body, she wanted to get a message across to anyone that needs encouragement.”
People from around the world followed her journey on her Facebook page, which you can follow by clicking here. She has earned the nickname, Mississippi Mermaid. No question about it. A nickname she was given by one of her followers.
Martin says her favorite part of the journey was getting to meet amazing people along the river. She has built friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime.
Here is the local news coverage:
She plans to gather the required documentation, so that her trip down the river will be recognized as a Guinness World Record.
Next year she plans on taking a more relaxing trip through the upper Missouri River.
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