Victoria Burgess will attempt to traverse the 100-plus miles from Havana to Key West.
An American woman is attempting to break the Guinness World Record for longest journey by stand-up paddleboard while making the 100-plus mile trek from Cuba to Florida.
Victoria Burgess shoved off from outside Havana en route to Key West on Tuesday. If she makes it, she'll become the first woman to do so.
Burgess's record-breaking attempt will take her over the same shark-infested waters swum by Diana Nyad when she made history by swimming the route in 2013.
To make the crossing happen, Burgess has a team that's following her in a boat and will provide her with the meals she eats during her journey.
The team will also be in place to rescue Burgess should she face life-threatening conditions such as lightning or an aggressive shark.
Burgess told the Sun-Sentinel she intends to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit, and other high energy foods, all while remaining on the paddleboard.
Burgess said she was hoping to make the trip in 24 hours, but she's just excited to be making the trip at all.
"It’s not a race pace," she told the paper. "I don’t care if it takes me 40 hours, as long as I get there."
The crossing is no cheap feat. Burgess estimates the total cost will be around $15,000 and has created a GoFundMe account to try and offset the expenses.
Burgess isn't the only paddleboarder in the news recently. A New Jersey man in a full business suit paddleboarded across the Hudson River Thursday on his way to a meeting in Manhattan.
RELATED STORIES
