Althouse: "Others have rowed solo from California to Hawaii. But Ms. Madsen aimed to be the first rower with paraplegia..."

July 1, 2020

"Others have rowed solo from California to Hawaii. But Ms. Madsen aimed to be the first rower with paraplegia..."

"... the first openly gay athlete and, at 60, the oldest woman to do so. She was two months in and halfway to Hawaii when she discovered a problem with the hardware for her parachute anchor, which deploys in heavy seas to stabilize the craft. She had been in constant contact with her wife, Debra Madsen, in Long Beach, Calif., by text and satellite phone, and Angela was posting pictures and observations on social media for those following her voyage. Debra said in an interview that when she warned that a cyclone was coming, Angela knew she had to fix the hardware, which would require tethering herself to the boat and getting in the water. 'Tomorrow is a swim day,' Angela posted on Twitter on Saturday, June 20. On Sunday, there were no messages from her.... At around 10:30 p.m. she texted Angela that their friend Soraya Simi, who is making a documentary about Angela, was calling the Coast Guard. At around 8 p.m. Monday, the Coast Guard spotted her in the water, lifeless and tethered to her boat.... 'Angela was a warrior, as fierce as they come.... She knew the risks better than any of us and was willing to take those risks because being at sea made her happier than anything else. She told us time and again that if she died trying, that is how she wanted to go.'"

From "Angela Madsen, Paralympian Rower, Dies on Solo Pacific Voyage at 60/With her legs paralyzed, she found freedom rowing across oceans. 'It’s hopeless, it’s majestic, it’s exhilarating,' she said." (NYT).

80 comments:

eddie willers said...: "She died doing what she loved...drowning".; 7/1/20, 2:34 PM
Nichevo said...: She's in a better place now, I hope. Shouldn't have a wife. Women don't have wives. Any more than cats and dogs have husbands.; 7/1/20, 2:35 PM
Oso Negro said...: Fuck it. Better than COVID-19 in a nursing home.; 7/1/20, 2:37 PM
gerry said...: Wow. What courage.; 7/1/20, 2:44 PM
L Day said...: I'm reasonably fit for my age and active in the outdoors, skiing, mountain biking, hiking in the mountains, rowing, paddling, hunting, fly fishing. Even though I was a serious climber at one time, I find climbing back into a boat after a swim surprisingly difficult to do. She must have had a plan, but it's kind of hard for me to imagine what that plan would have been. I mean, female, 60 and with just the strength of her arms going for her (which I'm sure was considerable). Damn, she was a bold one. Rest in peace, sister.; 7/1/20, 2:49 PM
Richard Dolan said...: "that is how she wanted to go."

And it looks like she got her wish. Paging Lord Byron (but perhaps she can ask him herself).; 7/1/20, 2:50 PM
JAORE said...: Good on her. Life is to be lived, not just extended in a cocoon.; 7/1/20, 2:58 PM
tim maguire said...: First rower with paraplegia is something. The other “firsts” are bullshit.; 7/1/20, 2:58 PM
Marcus Bressler said...: Foolish. Add that to the other Woke "attributes" listed.

THEOLDMAN; 7/1/20, 3:00 PM
Jamie said...: I admire her determination and am saddened that she didn't make it.; 7/1/20, 3:03 PM
Jamie said...: I admire her determination and am saddened that she didn't make it.; 7/1/20, 3:03 PM
Rob said...: She was right about the "hopeless" part.; 7/1/20, 3:08 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Great story - sounds like she was a great lady too. They could have left the gay part out. It was not relevant to the story.; 7/1/20, 3:26 PM
stevew said...: Far be it for me to question or quibble with another's choices. To say she died doing what she loved is trite and an insult. I dare say she didn't set out to die.

Tribute to her for challenging and testing herself. RIP.; 7/1/20, 3:30 PM
Sebastian said...: The "Coast" Guard spotted her "halfway to Hawaii"?; 7/1/20, 3:33 PM
Expat(ish) said...: Hmm, very interesting. I'm not sure how you survive a cyclone (i.e. - hurricane) in even a large rowboat using a drogue anchor. You have to manage the standoff of the drag to be some multiple of the *average* wave length. Then the non-average waves knock the crap out of you.

In sailing the current thinking is put the boat into the wind and just let the storm pass over you. As the old saying goes: no boat ever crashed by staying away from land.

Sorry to hear she drowned, not sure why she would get in the water without a life vest on. And there are literally hundreds of self rescue devices to help solo sailers get back on a boat. Seems odd that a paraplegic wouldn't have one.

-XC; 7/1/20, 3:36 PM
donald said...: Not foolish at all. Totally ballsy. Godspeed ma’am.; 7/1/20, 3:42 PM
Static Ping said...: If it wasn't dangerous, it wouldn't be nearly as much of an accomplishment. R.I.P.; 7/1/20, 3:43 PM
Openidname said...: "Richard Dolan said...

"Paging Lord Byron."

I think you mean Shelley.; 7/1/20, 3:43 PM
Big Mike said...: Courage is one thing. Putting yourself in the middle — or even the periphery — of a cyclone in a very small boat is something entirely different.; 7/1/20, 3:45 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: God speed my lady. Doing what you wanted with what you had.; 7/1/20, 3:49 PM
GingerBeer said...: Was she any relation to Chris McCandless?; 7/1/20, 3:50 PM
Leland said...: She was a warrior and died as one. Imagine a world where she doesn't have to be a warrior. That's the point of the mural from the other day.

But if a woman wants to be a warrior like this woman, then I support her being able to live that dream. Can't say she hurt nobody but herself, because it took a Coast Guard crew to enter the danger zone to find her whereabouts. The Coast Guards primary duties include acting like cops and enforcing our border; and liberals want neither of those things.; 7/1/20, 3:56 PM
rhhardin said...: It's hard to tell which one is the man from the story.; 7/1/20, 3:58 PM
DanTheMan said...: Can we admire her spirit of adventure without all the labels? Or is a gay solo crossing somehow more challenging than heterosexual solo crossing?

I suspect the Pacific is now guilty of systemic homophobia.

Good luck trying to burn it down.; 7/1/20, 4:03 PM
cubanbob said...: RIP. She had courage. One might say she was foolhardy but she did what she wanted to do. Which more than can be said for most. I suppose the only "good" thing is that her body was recovered and thus she will get a proper burial.; 7/1/20, 4:06 PM
walter said...: It's lethal.; 7/1/20, 4:16 PM
Earnest Prole said...: All of life is a wager, and I’m wagering she was far more alive than the vast majority of those sniping at her.; 7/1/20, 4:29 PM
Howard said...: Her friends call her Bob now; 7/1/20, 4:32 PM
Fernandinande said...: ...the first openly gay

It's nice when an article indicates that you should probably stop reading the article, especially when it's indicated near the beginning of the article to not read.

Leland quoted...'She was a warrior and died as one'

No, she was a thrill- and attention-seeker.; 7/1/20, 4:42 PM
Francisco D said...: I'm Full of Soup said...Great story - sounds like she was a great lady too. They could have left the gay part out. It was not relevant to the story.

It is the NYT.

Of course, it is relevant. It is the most relevant part of the story to their editors, maybe even some of the readership.; 7/1/20, 4:46 PM
Tomcc said...: That is some kind of determination!; 7/1/20, 4:47 PM
bagoh20 said...: I think it's awesome. It was an incredible thing to try, and an impressive way to die. We all gotta go, but she went out with gusto. It beats the hell out of just waiting for the batteries to run out like most of do.; 7/1/20, 4:51 PM
bagoh20 said...: "Fuck it. Better than COVID-19 in a nursing home."

It still counts as a Covid death... somehow... and a hate crime.; 7/1/20, 4:54 PM
Anonymous said...: unexpectedly, as they say; 7/1/20, 5:02 PM
h said...: My cousin is planning a similar feat this summer, but rowing the entire distance with his eyes shut. These are the heroes that make life worth living.; 7/1/20, 5:03 PM
J said...: Dear Ann
Does it trouble you at all that some of these comments are really fucked up? If we have an obligation to fight racism, then we also have an obligation to fight sexist and homophobic statements as well .
Your silence in the face of, your lack of presence of these reactions to your storytelling is deafening.; 7/1/20, 5:06 PM
Known Unknown said...: At least she wasn't mountain biking.; 7/1/20, 5:06 PM
Mark said...: Sad story. Too bad that they (once again) exploited her to push an ideological narrative.

(And at this point, the more newsworthy aspect is that a woman athlete is NOT a lesbian.); 7/1/20, 5:27 PM
Michael said...: I have just finished “The world Beneath Their Feet” About mountaineers attempting the highest peaks In the Himalayas during the 1930s when nations vied to be the first on a number os famous summits. Amazing men and women against crazy physical and political odds.

There is something in all of us that can be called upon to try the impossible. Only a very very few answer it.; 7/1/20, 5:28 PM
Danno said...: DantheMan said..."I suspect the Pacific is now guilty of systemic homophobia. Good luck trying to burn it down."

I believe as a corollary to the saying, "if the Democratrs ran the Sahara Desert, we'd soon have a shortage of sand." it would follow that they would run out of water if charged with maintaining the Pacific Ocean.; 7/1/20, 5:30 PM
Mark said...: Great story - sounds like she was a great lady too. They could have left the gay part out. It was not relevant to the story.

How wrong you are. The gay is VERY relevant. It's the woman who really is not relevant. She is just the means to the end.; 7/1/20, 5:31 PM
Jamie said...: I wanted to pay my respects first, and did, above. But my question was the same as DanTheMan's how did being gay possibly affect her attempt? Being paraplegic - obviously. Being over 60 - definitely. But being gay? Was she also red-haired or left-eye-dominant,; 7/1/20, 5:33 PM
Assistant Village Idiot said...: This contributed to Western Civilisation so much. That she is gay, older, and disabled reduced world poverty and improved justice just that much more.

Do we really think this complete warping of values away from actual improvement to the impression of importance isn't part of the current protests of destruction?; 7/1/20, 5:51 PM
Michael K said...: Blogger Mark said...
Great story - sounds like she was a great lady too. They could have left the gay part out. It was not relevant to the story.

How wrong you are. The gay is VERY relevant. It's the woman who really is not relevant. She is just the means to the end.

Exactly and this is not the season for cyclones in the Pacific. I've been there.; 7/1/20, 6:09 PM
FullMoon said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/1/20, 6:16 PM
Josephbleau said...: What privilege, black bodies don’t get to die in the ocean. Call this brave if you want, I call it unprofessional, Semper non Paratus. Why make the Coast Guard spend tax money to come out and fetch your carcass. Selfish.; 7/1/20, 6:19 PM
William said...: The paraplegic not the gay part is what would have made the story inspiring. How do we know the other rowers didn't have something in their past? If you ask me, all those people who row solo across the Pacific are a little effete. The Atlantic rowers are far more manly....With all due respect to her courage and grit, I can't think of what the percentage is in wishing to row solo across the Pacific. I don't think there's much money or fame attached to the successful completion of such an endeavor....Have there ever been any successful paraplegic or gay contestants in hot dog eating contests? If I ever become paraplegic or gay that's the sport I'll pursue.; 7/1/20, 6:25 PM
Banjo said...: "God speed my lady. Doing what you wanted with what you had."

Not sure she would like the "my lady" part.; 7/1/20, 6:27 PM
Joe Smith said...: I so loathe any story with ‘the first…’

She’s handi-capable, check! She’s a senior citizen, check! A lesbian, check! That’s it? No cleft palate or maybe an eating disorder? It seems that she’s your garden variety three-fer. The next person to try this had better add something else to the mix or there will be no story at all.

Any time you read about ‘the first’ anything, just replace the listed attributes (usually woman and/or gay) with a scientific description to see how silly it is. ‘Hillary Clinton would be the first female president’ becomes ‘Hillary Clinton would be the first human with a vagina to be president.’

And just imagine the slide show she would have given had she been successful. ‘Here’s one of my wife before I started out (gay men and lesbians of a certain age always love throwing ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ into the conversation just in case you hadn’t figured it out). Kind of like, ‘How do you know someone is doing CrossFIt?’ They’ll tell you.

‘OK, and here are some photos of the ocean…kind of blue-ish green. Here’s some more of the ocean…kind of greenish blue. Here’s a cloud; there are lots of clouds in the ocean, did you know that? Here’s a seagull that I named Jonathan…he followed my around quite a bit, although I shouldn’t presume xer’s gender identity…’

Overall an interesting story peppered with wokeness.; 7/1/20, 6:33 PM
JML said...: Two comments: She was a strong woman; RIP.

Reaction to J, "Your silence in the face of, your lack of presence of these reactions to your storytelling is deafening."

If you don't like the comments and how the blog is run, don't read it.; 7/1/20, 6:41 PM
DanTheMan said...: >>J said...
>>Dear Ann
>>Does it trouble you at all that some of these comments are really fucked up? If we have an >>obligation to fight racism, then we also have an obligation to fight sexist and homophobic >>statements as well .
>>Your silence in the face of, your lack of presence of these reactions to your storytelling >>is deafening.

J would like to speak to the manager.

>>If we have an obligation to fight racism

There's your problem right there. There is no obligation to fight racism. Or sexism. Stop assuming that other people must be made to believe what you believe.

Believing in racial superiority is ugly, but as an American you have the right to believe that if you wish.

It's a free country. You are entitled to your opinions. Just as others are entitled to have a completely different one.

See how easy that is?; 7/1/20, 6:57 PM
Michael said...: The rowing solo across the Pacific is nothing compared to the struggles she went through before. Paralyzed after a surgery to fix a bad back, abandoned by a lover who stole her bank account, homeless in a wheelchair, a series of shit luck. Really a much more inspiring life than just the failed solo row.; 7/1/20, 7:10 PM
madAsHell said...: If she could ski, she would have found an avalanche shoot.; 7/1/20, 7:16 PM
Michael said...: Dear J
We have no obligations to fight racism or any of life’s other issues that trouble you. I am sure that your noble and brave walk across the Pettus bridge will do it for all of us.

And fighting racism is last weeks issue. We are back on the spiking, raging, out of control corona19 virus. Shut up , wash your hands and pull your mask up.; 7/1/20, 7:20 PM
madAsHell said...: Does it trouble you at all that some of these comments are really fucked up? If we have an obligation to fight racism, then we also have an obligation to fight sexist and homophobic statements as well .
Your silence in the face of, your lack of presence of these reactions to your storytelling is deafening.

I might be missing the sarcasm, but scolding the hostess for failing group-think is just damn rude.; 7/1/20, 7:21 PM
Ralph L said...: A bicycle wouldn't have done her any good, either.; 7/1/20, 8:02 PM
svlc said...: "Good on her. Life is to be lived, not just extended in a cocoon."

Absolutely agree. This kind of reminds me of those 2 idolistic cyclists who wanted to ride around the world to show that people are kind, and who got killed by Islamists. Even though I disagree strongly about their politics, I admire their courage and determination.; 7/1/20, 8:04 PM
Paul said...: "the first openly gay athlete and, at 60, the oldest woman to do so."

And this somehow means... what?

She DIED, died stupidly, and that was her accomplishment.; 7/1/20, 8:07 PM
bagoh20 said...: I can see being the first woman or handicapped to accomplish something usually done by healthy men, but gay? Is that a handicap that makes swimming especially hard?

I would be impressed with the first gay man with who ignored his body hair, or a lesbian who hates rescue dogs.; 7/1/20, 8:14 PM
Wa St Blogger said...: Your silence in the face of, your lack of presence of these reactions to your storytelling is deafening.

You must not read this blog well or maybe just not often. Althouse is not a fan of compelled speech, and your post is trying to use shame to compel her to speak. I think she would downgrade your paper.; 7/1/20, 8:28 PM
Christopher said...: All of life is a wager, and I’m wagering she was far more alive than the vast majority of those sniping at her.

I agree, and fwiw I'm a traditional Christian groaning at the oppression badges built into the NYT's narrative.

She was heavyset and given her disability her legs were deadweight. She must have practiced getting back in her vessel, but I imagine it would be challenging even in gentle seas and at her full strength.

I'm a middle-distance cyclist and can just keep going on forever if I don't mind grinding and don't care to go fast--but I don't know if I could lift my steel bike over my head after 100 miles. Same thing I suspect.

God be with her.; 7/1/20, 8:51 PM
Jason said...: Why the fuck are we expected to give a rat's ass that she was the first openly gay person to do this?; 7/1/20, 8:55 PM
DavidUW said...: Stupid is as stupid does.; 7/1/20, 9:15 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Gutsy lady, and a pity her pursuit killed her. We all die some day- trying to row from Hawaii to California, trying to scale Mount Everest, or sheltering in place for 2 years to escape COVID-19.; 7/1/20, 9:16 PM
Owen said...: Sad. Will we be told how much the search and recovery work cost, and who paid? It was reasonable to expect (even likely) that this brave effort would end badly. If she had posted a bond to cover at least part of the expenses —and (by definition) being triggered by an urgent and badly-defined situation under rough/impossible conditions at the limit of the range of the equipment and crew, the expenses would be very high— then I would have even more respect for her effort.

Remind me not to try doing this... By the way, can any sailors advise if it would be practical to improve the P (surviving a cyclone) of a (very) small craft like hers, by adding inflatable pontoons or other such gear?; 7/1/20, 9:17 PM
Michael K said...: This is the way to get to Hawaii. The first time I went it was by sail. It's the only way. Rowing is a stunt.; 7/1/20, 9:59 PM
Lucien said...: Maybe J is really Titania McGrath.; 7/1/20, 10:04 PM
n.n said...: Why the fuck are we expected to give a rat's ass that she was the first openly gay person to do this?

Transgenders, especially the homosexual elite, are trendy. Also, diversity (i.e. color judgments) are a progressive condition. And the State-established Church is Progressive with a Pro-Choice, selective, opportunistic, politically congruent religion, and liberal ideology.; 7/1/20, 10:09 PM
iowan2 said...: Aviation and blue water sailing are both unforgiving, where even the smallest error is deadly.

That's a feature, not a bug.; 7/1/20, 10:18 PM
NCMoss said...: Let's make a statue to honor her, wait 50 years and tear it down for violating some progressive faux pas.; 7/1/20, 10:24 PM
Gospace said...: Has the death been recorded as covid yet?; 7/1/20, 10:50 PM
Gulistan said...: Key quote:

“I stopped being a victim and started taking responsibility to retrain, re-parent or reprogram myself,” she told Trekity, an online travel newsletter for women.

“It does not mean that bad things no longer happen to me or that I am not victimized by people or that my life is easy,” she added. “I just improved my coping skills and took myself to another level.”; 7/1/20, 11:02 PM
stlcdr said...: "Aimed to be the first..."

There Can Be Only One!; 7/2/20, 8:37 AM
stlcdr said...: Blogger Jason said...
Why the fuck are we expected to give a rat's ass that she was the first openly gay person to do this?

7/1/20, 8:55 PM

It's as if we should be treating gay people as disabled or inadequate or incapable of doing things for themselves. Or something.; 7/2/20, 8:39 AM
stlcdr said...: Blogger iowan2 said...
Aviation and blue water sailing are both unforgiving, where even the smallest error is deadly.

That's a feature, not a bug.

7/1/20, 10:18 PM

Ironically, nature doesn't discriminate.; 7/2/20, 8:40 AM
Paul said...: stlcdr said...

It's as if we should be treating gay people as disabled or inadequate or incapable of doing things for themselves. Or something.

SHE DIED.. she did not 'do things for herself' except fail to listen to weather reports and plan accordingly. Like the woman that died in the Grand Canyon this week. Planned poorly.

Doing dangerously stupid things so you can be in the Guinness Record Book is just a way of becoming a Darwin Award winner.; 7/2/20, 10:31 AM
Rory said...: "This kind of reminds me of those 2 idolistic cyclists who wanted to ride around the world to show that people are kind, and who got killed by Islamists."

Or that robot that got mugged in Philly.; 7/2/20, 11:16 AM
Rory said...: "This kind of reminds me of those 2 idolistic cyclists who wanted to ride around the world to show that people are kind, and who got killed by Islamists."

Or that robot that got mugged in Philly.; 7/2/20, 11:17 AM
Nichevo said...: Paul said...
"the first openly gay athlete and, at 60, the oldest woman to do so."

And this somehow means... what?

She DIED, died stupidly, and that was her accomplishment.

Stupidly as in unintentionally? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe her sand castle just slipped into the sea.

There was a young girl, who's heart was a frown
Cause she was crippled for life
And she couldn't speak a sound
And she wished and prayed she could stop living
So she decided to die
She drew her wheelchair to the edge of the shore
And to her legs she smiled you wont hurt me no more
But then a sight she'd never seen made her jump and say
Look a golden winged ship is passing my way
And it really didn't have to stop, it just kept on going...
And so castles made of sand slips into the sea, eventually; 7/2/20, 9:13 PM