0:00:00.996,0:00:02.807 In June of 1998, 0:00:02.807,0:00:08.147 Tori Murden McClure left Nags Head,[br]North Carolina for France. 0:00:08.147,0:00:10.469 That's her boat, the American Pearl. 0:00:10.469,0:00:12.913 It's 23 feet long and just six feet across 0:00:12.913,0:00:14.881 at its widest point. 0:00:14.881,0:00:19.873 The deck was the size of a cargo bed[br]of a Ford F-150 pickup truck. 0:00:19.873,0:00:22.357 Tori and her friends built it by hand, 0:00:22.357,0:00:25.051 and it weighed about 1,800 pounds. 0:00:25.051,0:00:27.414 Her plan was to row it alone 0:00:27.414,0:00:29.364 across the Atlantic Ocean -- 0:00:29.364,0:00:31.500 no motor, no sail -- 0:00:31.500,0:00:35.262 something no woman and no American[br]had ever done before. 0:00:35.262,0:00:36.841 This would be her route: 0:00:36.841,0:00:41.068 over 3,600 miles across[br]the open North Atlantic Ocean. 0:00:41.068,0:00:43.683 Professionally, Tori worked[br]as a project administrator 0:00:43.683,0:00:45.478 for the city of Louisville, Kentucky, 0:00:45.478,0:00:47.289 her hometown, 0:00:47.289,0:00:49.704 but her real passion was exploring. 0:00:49.704,0:00:52.188 This was not her first big expedition. 0:00:52.188,0:00:56.554 Several years earlier, she'd become[br]the first woman to ski to the South Pole. 0:00:56.554,0:00:58.783 She was an accomplished rower in college, 0:00:58.783,0:01:02.265 even competed for a spot[br]on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, 0:01:02.265,0:01:06.189 but this, this was different. 0:01:06.189,0:01:12.830 (Video) (Music) Tori Murden McClure:[br]Hi. It's Sunday, July 5. 0:01:12.830,0:01:14.711 Sector time 9 a.m. 0:01:14.711,0:01:17.892 So that's Kentucky time now. 0:01:17.892,0:01:20.237 Dawn Landes: Tori made[br]these videos as she rowed. 0:01:20.237,0:01:22.536 This is her 21st day at sea. 0:01:22.536,0:01:25.299 At this point, she'd covered[br]over 1,000 miles, 0:01:25.299,0:01:27.969 had had no radio contact[br]in more than two weeks 0:01:27.969,0:01:31.409 following a storm that disabled[br]all her long-range communications systems 0:01:31.409,0:01:33.123 just five days in. 0:01:33.123,0:01:35.144 Most days looked like this. 0:01:35.144,0:01:38.905 At this point, she'd rowed[br]over 200,000 strokes, 0:01:38.905,0:01:41.227 fighting the current and the wind. 0:01:41.227,0:01:44.710 Some days, she traveled[br]as little as 15 feet. 0:01:44.710,0:01:46.219 Yeah. 0:01:46.219,0:01:48.866 And as frustrating as those days were, 0:01:48.866,0:01:51.908 other days were like this. 0:01:51.908,0:01:55.019 (Video) TMM: And I want to show you[br]my little friends. 0:01:55.019,0:01:59.930 DL: She saw fish, dolphins, 0:01:59.930,0:02:02.461 whales, sharks, 0:02:02.461,0:02:05.340 and even some sea turtles. 0:02:05.340,0:02:07.615 After two weeks with no human contact, 0:02:07.615,0:02:09.937 Tori was able to contact[br]a local cargo ship 0:02:09.937,0:02:12.863 via VHF radio. 0:02:12.863,0:02:16.648 (Video) TMM: Do you guys[br]have a weather report, over? 0:02:16.648,0:02:19.782 Man: Heading up to a low 0:02:19.782,0:02:22.267 ahead of you but it's heading, 0:02:22.267,0:02:24.147 and you're obviously going northeast 0:02:24.147,0:02:26.051 and there's a high behind us. 0:02:26.051,0:02:27.909 That'd be coming 0:02:27.909,0:02:30.416 east-northeast also. 0:02:30.416,0:02:32.019 DMM: Good. 0:02:32.019,0:02:35.925 DL: She's pretty happy to talk[br]to another human at this point. 0:02:35.925,0:02:38.367 (Video) TMM: So weather report[br]says nothing dramatic 0:02:38.367,0:02:40.980 is going to happen soon. 0:02:40.980,0:02:42.991 DL: What the weather report[br]didn't tell her 0:02:42.991,0:02:46.089 was that she was rowing right into[br]the path of Hurricane Danielle 0:02:46.089,0:02:50.187 in the worst hurricane season[br]on record in the North Atlantic. 0:02:52.138,0:02:55.133 (Video) TMM: Just sprained my ankle. 0:02:55.133,0:02:58.848 There's a very strong wind[br]from the east now. 0:02:58.848,0:03:01.286 It's blowing about. 0:03:01.286,0:03:04.165 It's blowing! 0:03:04.165,0:03:06.859 After 12 days of storm 0:03:06.859,0:03:08.693 I get to row for four hours 0:03:08.693,0:03:10.837 without a flagging wind. 0:03:10.837,0:03:12.527 I'm not very happy right now. 0:03:12.527,0:03:14.196 As happy as I was this morning, 0:03:14.196,0:03:18.050 I am unhappy now, so ... 0:03:20.200,0:03:22.195 DL: After nearly three months at sea, 0:03:22.195,0:03:24.888 she'd covered over 3,000 miles. 0:03:24.888,0:03:26.908 She was two thirds of the way there, 0:03:26.908,0:03:30.438 but in the storm, the waves were[br]the size of a seven-story building. 0:03:30.438,0:03:32.614 Her boat kept capsizing. 0:03:32.614,0:03:35.818 Some of them were pitchpole capsizes,[br]flipping her end over end, 0:03:35.818,0:03:38.303 and rowing became impossible. 0:03:38.303,0:03:40.536 (Video) TMM: It's 6:30 a.m. 0:03:41.706,0:03:45.060 I'm in something big, bad and ugly. 0:03:45.060,0:03:47.660 Two capsizes. 0:03:47.660,0:03:53.477 Last capsize, I took the rib[br]off the top of my ceiling with my back. 0:03:56.356,0:03:59.839 I've had about six capsizes now. 0:03:59.839,0:04:02.346 The last one was a pitchpole. 0:04:02.346,0:04:05.295 I have the Argus beacon with me. 0:04:05.295,0:04:07.083 I would set off the distress signal, 0:04:07.083,0:04:11.309 but quite frankly, I don't think they'd[br]ever be able to find this little boat. 0:04:11.309,0:04:13.120 It's so far underwater right now, 0:04:13.120,0:04:17.299 the only part that's showing[br]pretty much is the cabin. 0:04:17.299,0:04:20.434 It's about 10 a.m. 0:04:20.434,0:04:23.127 I've lost track of the number of capsizes. 0:04:23.127,0:04:26.169 I seem to capsize about[br]every 15 minutes. 0:04:26.169,0:04:29.582 I think I may have broken my left arm. 0:04:33.204,0:04:34.667 The waves 0:04:34.667,0:04:37.024 are tearing the boat to shreds. 0:04:38.556,0:04:40.042 I keep praying because 0:04:40.042,0:04:42.550 I'm not sure I'm going[br]to make it through this. 0:04:43.128,0:04:45.447 DL: Tori set off her distress beacon 0:04:45.447,0:04:48.341 and was rescued[br]by a passing container ship. 0:04:48.341,0:04:52.325 They found her abandoned boat[br]two months later adrift near France. 0:04:52.325,0:04:55.506 I read about it in the newspaper. 0:04:55.506,0:04:59.779 In 1998, I was a high school student[br]living in Louisville, Kentucky. 0:04:59.779,0:05:02.333 Now, I live in New York City.[br]I'm a songwriter. 0:05:02.333,0:05:05.630 And her bravery stuck with me,[br]and I'm adapting her story 0:05:05.630,0:05:09.252 into a musical called "Row." 0:05:12.990,0:05:14.639 When Tori returned home, 0:05:14.639,0:05:16.473 she was feeling disheartened, 0:05:16.473,0:05:17.667 she was broke. 0:05:17.667,0:05:19.956 She was having a hard time[br]making the transition 0:05:19.956,0:05:22.115 back into civilization. 0:05:24.085,0:05:26.718 In this scene, she sits at home. 0:05:26.718,0:05:28.965 The phone is ringing,[br]her friends are calling, 0:05:28.965,0:05:31.171 but she doesn't know how to talk to them. 0:05:31.171,0:05:34.166 She sings this song.[br]It's called "Dear Heart." 0:05:34.166,0:05:37.522 (Guitar) 0:05:40.331,0:05:44.046 When I was dreaming, 0:05:44.046,0:05:47.297 I took my body 0:05:47.297,0:05:50.617 to beautiful places 0:05:50.617,0:05:53.937 I'd never been. 0:05:53.937,0:05:57.211 I saw Gibraltar, 0:05:57.211,0:06:00.601 and stars of Kentucky 0:06:00.601,0:06:03.875 burned in the moonlight, 0:06:03.875,0:06:07.451 making me smile. 0:06:07.451,0:06:10.714 And when I awoke here, 0:06:10.714,0:06:14.161 the sky was so cloudy. 0:06:14.161,0:06:17.534 I walked to a party 0:06:17.534,0:06:20.995 where people I know 0:06:20.995,0:06:24.222 try hard to know me 0:06:24.222,0:06:27.426 and ask where I've been, 0:06:27.426,0:06:30.514 but I can't explain 0:06:30.514,0:06:34.369 what I've seen to them. 0:06:34.369,0:06:41.242 Ah, listen, dear heart. 0:06:41.242,0:06:44.359 Just pay attention, 0:06:44.359,0:06:48.395 go right from the start. 0:06:48.395,0:06:54.313 Ah, listen, dear heart. 0:06:54.313,0:06:57.052 You can fall off the map, 0:06:57.052,0:07:01.532 but don't fall apart. 0:07:01.532,0:07:03.377 Ooh ooh ooh, 0:07:03.377,0:07:08.245 ah ah ah ah ah. 0:07:08.245,0:07:11.589 Ah ah, 0:07:11.589,0:07:14.421 ah ah ah. 0:07:14.421,0:07:17.630 When I was out there, 0:07:17.630,0:07:21.020 the ocean would hold me, 0:07:21.020,0:07:24.364 rock me and throw me, 0:07:24.364,0:07:27.684 light as a child. 0:07:27.684,0:07:31.121 But now I'm so heavy, 0:07:31.121,0:07:34.325 nothing consoles me. 0:07:34.325,0:07:37.761 My mind floats like driftwood, 0:07:37.761,0:07:41.035 wayward and wild. 0:07:41.035,0:07:47.582 Ah, listen, dear heart. 0:07:47.582,0:07:50.717 Just pay attention, 0:07:50.717,0:07:54.456 go right from the start. 0:07:54.456,0:08:00.748 Ah, listen, dear heart. 0:08:00.748,0:08:04.208 You can fall off the map, 0:08:04.208,0:08:08.132 but don't fall apart. 0:08:08.132,0:08:12.334 Ooh. 0:08:14.912,0:08:18.139 Eventually, Tori starts to get[br]her feet under her. 0:08:18.139,0:08:20.600 She starts hanging out[br]with her friends again. 0:08:20.600,0:08:24.478 She meets a guy and falls[br]in love for the first time. 0:08:24.478,0:08:27.543 She gets a new job working[br]for another Louisville native, 0:08:27.543,0:08:29.818 Muhammad Ali. 0:08:29.818,0:08:32.558 One day, at lunch with her new boss, 0:08:32.558,0:08:34.926 Tori shares the news[br]that two other women 0:08:34.926,0:08:37.689 are setting out to row[br]across the mid-Atlantic, 0:08:37.689,0:08:41.381 to do something that she[br]almost died trying to do. 0:08:41.381,0:08:44.502 His response was classic Ali: 0:08:44.502,0:08:46.418 "You don't want to go through life 0:08:46.418,0:08:50.175 as the woman who almost[br]rowed across the ocean." 0:08:50.175,0:08:52.172 He was right. 0:08:52.172,0:08:53.890 Tori rebuilt the American Pearl, 0:08:53.890,0:08:55.678 and in December of 1999, 0:08:55.678,0:08:57.954 she did it. 0:08:57.954,0:09:00.995 (Applause)[br](Guitar) 0:09:04.873,0:09:07.404 Thank you. 0:09:07.404,0:09:10.305 (Applause)