"So I don't know how to put this, but I'm kind of a big deal." -Ron Burgundy
Just kidding, our heads aren't quite that big! But seriously, humans have achieved a LOT in the last 250,000 years. With 7 billion people on this planet, there just aren't that many "firsts" left. So we think that being the first North American female pair to successfully row across the Pacific Ocean IS kind of a big deal. Frankly, we are honored and humbled at the opportunity and are going to do everything in our power to make this a reality. What others have overlooked, we will research. What others have forgotten, we will remember. Where others have tried and failed, we will succeed. We will fight the Kraken.
(Want to learn more about us and this crazy adventure? Check out this radio interview that answers all the questions you've been too afraid to ask!)
Vicki Otmani
Vicki spent her entire childhood engrossed in all things aquatic, from the biggest whales to the tiniest of sea slugs, she wanted to know everything about the world underwater. With a lifelong plan to pursue a degree in Marine Biology, her career goals were put on hold when she was introduced to the sport of rowing her freshman year at Oklahoma State University. Her passion immediately transitioned from underwater life, to that of one lived on the surface. Upon graduation after a successful collegiate career, Vicki moved to Nashville and eventually Philadelphia to continue to train in the sport she loves.
In 2009, after spending time at the National level, a back injury forced her into an early retirement from the competitive scene. Yet still loving the push of endurance sports, Vicki moved into the world of distance triathlons, which eventually introduced her to her husband Chris, a fellow triathlete. After marrying in 2011, they moved to the US Virgin Islands, where the couple earned their Dive Master certifications and continued their passion for a life in and around the sea through a career in Scuba.
The couple has since returned stateside and currently live near Philadelphia, where Vicki coaches rowing and continues to follow her passion to the water.
By completing this race, Vicki hopes to achieve an even deeper connection to both the ocean and her sport, but to also use the voyage as a platform to help educate the people around her on the damages our ocean and ultimately, our species, are facing.
MEGAN BIGING
With the ocean only a short 2 miles away for most of Megan’s formative years, it was easy for her to fall in love with an environment that is so mysterious and powerful. As a native Californian, she grew up on the beach as an LA County Junior Lifeguard where her intrigue and respect for the ocean developed as she charged through the waves and learned more about how the sea works. However, it wasn’t until Vicki taught Megan how to Scuba dive that she really understood what had been under her all those years. Diving with Vicki gave her an entirely new perspective on what our oceans have to offer. A world of its own, the respect and intrigue that the ocean once provided grew to sheer awe.
Spending most of her life involved in sports, Megan was good at some of them but never really found her niche until her junior year of high school. That was when her father signed her up to row with a local club team. Although reluctant to leave her first love and the sport she played for years, volleyball, Megan quickly discovered that rowing came much more naturally than anything she had done before. After 2 years of high school she was honored with offers to row collegiately, and jumped on the opportunity to become a USC Trojan. Four years at USC taught her so much, and helped her develop into the athlete she never thought she could be. Megan and Vicki met while they were both rowing for Vesper boat club in Philadelphia. After college Meg moved to Philly to train at Vesper where injury forced her into early retirement.
Megan now lives back in California, where she coaches the team she once rowed for, the USC Trojans.