If you think life is difficult as it is, try living at sea for several months, and you will come to realize how easy you have it. Battling gigantic waves, throbbing winds, and extreme weather, a 16-year-old Australian girl dared to dream and went on to live it by becoming the youngest person to sail around the world without assistance or port stops. The tenacious Jessica Watson is at the heart of the movie, narrating her actual experiences and learnings.
Directed by Sarah Spillane, the moving story is based on the book authored by Jessica herself. The narrative of Jessica’s remarkable journey is presented from her own perspective. It describes how such a young child, who had always been scared of everything, made the decision to challenge herself on a fascinating journey that included gusty winds, treacherous icebergs, huge waves, and tremendous loneliness on an open sea with no land in sight and no assistance nearby. We all have the ability to live our goals, no matter how large or small, thanks to the uplifting tale of risk, bravery, perseverance, and success that is True Spirit.
From her family and her coach to Craig Atherton and other journalists covering her story, everyone had some or other reservations about Jessica’s ability to make it around the world all by herself. Her trial runs were met with troubles and collisions, alarming her loved ones of her frame of mind. Nonetheless, Jessica kept at it and resolved to do everything she could to make her dreams come true. Let’s dive into the psyche of Jessica Watson and learn how she managed to pull off such an incredible feat.
Spoilers Ahead
Jessica Watson
Living in Australia means experiencing the wonders of the ocean from all sides. Jessica’s life started with her love for open waters, as her family loved sailing and traveling as well. Brought up in an extremely loving and nurturing environment, Jessica learned to dream early on in life. Even though she had trouble reading and writing because of dyslexia, her mother helped her focus with colors and highlighters. Jessica never lacked support or care from her parents. The first step towards letting a kid explore and dream is support. Roger and Julia did their best to help Jessica achieve whatever she wanted in life. Far from any objections or restrictions, they always stood side by side with all their children so that they could be as free as they wanted.
At a very early age, Jessica discovered her passion for sailing and being out on the open waters, untethered from land. She made a checklist of everything she needed to qualify and prepare herself to sail unassisted. In her mind, the dream materialized more clearly than any word on paper. The curiosity to explore uncharted waters and make it all the way around the globe fascinated her. In no time, she expressed the dream to her parents, and they happily agreed to help her out. Thus began her journey to prepare herself both physically and mentally to make it alone in a boat for seven months. Moreover, her loving siblings’ belief in her never wavered in her. Anywhere she went or anything she did, Jessica could always count on her family’s undying support and love. We believe this is one of the most crucial aspects that helped Jessica achieve her dream. A family’s unconditional support can do wonders for anyone out there. Despite her dyslexia, Jessica overcame every obstacle that hindered her path to make it back home.
Another wonderful quality in Jessica is her resilience and persevering spirit. She stuck to her guns and went through trial runs to prepare for the biggest dream of her life. Jessica never let the words of the reporters in the media, or her critics get into her head and stop her from sailing. Without worrying about her age or her studies, she dived headfirst and immersed herself with only one agenda: to become the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the earth without assistance or stops. Her commitment to her dream never wavered. Come storm, strong winds, or even no winds at all, Jessica overcame the worst situations and never gave up for even a second. It didn’t matter if the ocean stood still with no winds or if it roared with high and mighty waves; Jessica only focused on getting back to Sydney Harbour after crossing all the checkpoints. Quitting was never in her dictionary.
Jessica went on to embody the dreams and aspirations of hundreds of children across the globe. While looking at her blog and charting the journey with her, many children got inspired by her grit and determination and resolved to work towards turning their dreams into reality. She became a beacon of hope for dyslexic children and girls from poorer backgrounds who believed they could also do anything as Jessica could. To everyone who thought she was too petite or young to achieve something so daring, Jessica proved herself worthy of doing anything she set her mind to. Her adventurous and lively spirit helped her get through some of the worst storms. Even when everyone told her to turn around in the face of adversity, she charged into the storm with courage and got out alive.
However, there were many instances where her age held her back. Being a young teenager, she couldn’t see the advice of her elders or her coach in the right light. Forgetting to turn on the alarms, not paying enough attention to coordinates, or not securing her position in the middle of the storm could have led her astray and drowned her. The neglect and carelessness on her part could have cost her her life. Nevertheless, what she lacked in patience or experience, she made up for with her headstrong and tireless attitude. Her voyage is the perfect analogy to life itself. No matter how big a squall comes your way, you can never outrun those troubles in life. They always catch up with you, and ultimately, you have to weather through the storm and come out stronger.
Moreover, her bouts of loneliness and low periods alone on the boat stood testament to a sailor’s mindset in general. With no one to speak to and battling worse situations one after the other, it can have a terrible effect on one’s psyche. Not to forget, Jessica was just 16 when she embarked on this journey. When most teenagers were busy on social media and going to parties, Jessica was engrossed in keeping her sail straight, and her rudder in control. Her voyage is set to inspire thousands more teenagers who are afraid to step into the unknown and get closer to their dreams. This movie will reignite their spirits and help them chart a path that lets them live life however they want. Jessica Watson must be extremely proud of herself today, seeing how she changed not only the course of her life but also motivated so many others to chase after their aspirations.
