WRMI 013: Darcy Gaetchter: First Woman to Kayak the Amazon from Source to Sea

What Really Matters Interviews

In this podcast I interview Darcy Gaecther. She is the first woman to kayak down the entier length of the Amazon River.
Is she interesting? Well, maybe the intro to her new book "Amazon Woman' will get you juiced up about it.
"This 148-day journey began on Darcy Decker's 35th birthday. The emotional waters that would fester and erupt on the ensuing journey were often more challenging to navigate than the mighty river itself. With blistering lips and irradiated fingernails Darcy would tackle raging Class V whitewater for 25 days straight, barely survived a dynamite filled cannon being prepared for a new hydroelectric plant.
She and her two companions would encounter illegal loggers, narco traffickers, murderous shining path rebels and ruthless poachers in the black market trade in endangered species. They would plead for mercy at the hands of the murderers Ashanikna people, who were convinced that they had come to steal their children's organs
In a desperate attempt meant to give her some pretense of control, Darcy even cut off all her hair before entering Peru's notoriously dangerous Red Zone in hopes of passing for a boy and being seen as less of a target.
At once a heart-pounding adventure and a celebration of pushing personal limits, Amazon Woman speaks to all of us feeling trapped by our deskbound online society. This is a story of finding the courage and strength to challenge nature, cultures, social norms, and oneself."