ABOUT LIZ WARDLEY

Professional sailor.
Ocean rower.
Record breaker.
Boat captain.

Portrait of professional sailor and ocean rower Liz Wardley beside the sea.

I WAS CURIOUS & DETERMINED

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I WAS CURIOUS & DETERMINED ~

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Liz Wardley seated aboard a sailing yacht during her professional sailing career.

The Journey That Changed Everything

I was in Europe at a sailing event when I heard about an all-female team preparing to race around the world, and the idea completely hooked me. So I set off on a three-day mission across Europe to track down the skipper, Lisa McDonald. I didn't have a grand plan, I just knew I had to tell her how much I wanted to join.

When I finally found her on a dock in Spain and told her I wanted to race around the world on Amer Sports Too, she broke the news that the crew was already selected and the race started in three months. She suggested I try again next time.

I didn't leave feeling defeated. I left feeling excited, just to have been part of something like that before it had even started. And a small part of me thought: there's still a chance, right?

A few weeks later, that chance came. They needed someone willing to drop everything and fly to Cape Town to join the crew ahead of the Southern Ocean leg to Australia, doing anything from going up the mast to working in the bilge and learning on the fly. They called me, and I ended up racing around the rest of the planet with them.

Early Years: Growing Up in Papua New Guinea

Growing up in Papua New Guinea, I spent my childhood on fishing boats with my family. The ocean wasn't something I visited, it was part of my everyday life. By the time I was a teenager, I was racing Hobie catamarans internationally, competing in world championships across Australia, South Africa, and Europe.

A person in yellow waterproof clothing with
Two sailors in yellow waterproof suits on a boat, one is helping the other who is suspended a few feet above the water, holding onto a rope during a stormy sea with overcast skies.
A woman in yellow and black sailing gear at the helm of a sailboat, on open water with a partly cloudy sky.
Two women operating a sailboat at sea, one steering with a pink wheel and the other giving instructions, both wearing sunglasses and casual clothing on a sunny day.
A person in a yellow jacket on a sailboat at sea during daytime, holding a rope and looking intense.
A person in yellow and black clothing kneeling on the deck of a boat, working with mechanical equipment and surrounded by various tools, ropes, and gear.

SAILING

Line drawing of a sailboat with a yellow sail on the water, with the horizon line in the background.

How I Got My First Round-the-World Race at 21

That first round-the-world race changed my life. I was supposed to do one leg. I ended up doing the remainder of the race. It showed me what was possible.

The Reality of Professional Sailing: More Than Just Racing

What People Don't See About Working on Boats

Most people think working on boats is romantic. Sailing off into sunsets, island hopping, living the dream.

They don't see:

  • The 18-month stretches away from home

  • The endless maintenance work in engine rooms and bilges

  • Working two jobs: shore crew maintaining the boat, then racing crew

  • The physical and mental toll of high-performance racing

My PATH as a Boat Captain and Racing Crew

I've always been a multitasker. I wouldn't join a racing team just to race. That's never sat well with me, and honestly, I don't think I'd have the skill set for it.

I genuinely enjoy working on boats, be it general maintenance, mechanics, hydraulics. Every day spend working on a boat in a different area with a different person is an opportunity to upskill and bring more to a racing team.

I thrive on the challenge of keeping boats race ready and am then proud to step aboard as a crew member.

26 Years of Professional Sailing Career Highlights

Over 26 years, I've been lucky enough to compete in four editions of the Volvo Ocean Race (now The Ocean Race), survive the catastrophic 1998 Sydney to Hobart, and work my way up from cleaning boats to boat captain.

More about Sailing
Liz Wardley waving from her yacht during the Solocéane solo round-the-world sailing campaign.
Liz Wardley and a crew member working a winch aboard an offshore racing yacht.
Liz Wardley carrying out maintenance on equipment aboard an ocean rowing boat.
A speedboat with solar panels on top sailing on sparkling blue ocean water.
A woman with long brown hair in a ponytail, wearing a blue jacket, holding a paddle, and standing on a beach by the water on an overcast day.
A woman in a blue jacket and shorts is sitting on a sailboat, waving her hand. The sailboat has a sign that reads "World's Toughest Chuck Hump Pulled in Foundation." She is wearing sunglasses and a cap, and there is a pink plush toy attached to the s
A woman with blonde hair, smiling, wearing a blue jacket, on a boat with other boats in the background, water and land visible.
A man in a blue shirt and black shorts on a white solar-powered boat racing on the ocean with rocky coast in the background. The boat has flags and equipment, and the man appears to be steering or controlling it.
A woman in a light blue shirt and black shorts holding two smoke flares on a boat during a sunny day, with green hills in the background.
Illustration of a yellow and white ocean rowing boat.

OCean ROWING

Why I Started Ocean Rowing

In 2020, I was in Antigua when I saw the ocean rowing boats finishing their race. I was burnt out from big team sailing - managing crews, sponsor obligations, answering to everyone. I wanted something smaller, something I could do on my own terms.

So I got a rowboat. I quit my job, moved onto the rowboat, and lived aboard while I prepared.

PACIFIC ROW 2026: RACE WINNERS & WORLD RECORD HOLDERS

July 2026: Andrew Breen and I won the World’s Toughest Row Pacific, completing the 2,800-mile crossing from Monterey, California, to Hanalei Bay, Hawaii, in 35 days, 8 hours and 25 minutes.

We set a new world record as the fastest pair ever to row the Mid-Pacific, became the first team in the event’s history to lift two trophies, and I became the first woman to have her name on the overall winner’s trophy.

Breaking the Female Solo Atlantic Rowing Record

January 2024: I rowed solo across the Atlantic in 44 days, 4 hours, and 47 minutes

  • 3rd overall solo

  • Beat the previous female solo race record by 15 days

  • Faster than the female pairs world record by more than 24 hours

June 2024:  Rowed as a pair from Monterey to Hawaii with 17year old Lena Kerbial, 2nd pair and 3rd overall

My Most Challenging Row: Hawaii to Marshall Islands Solo

Continuing from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands wasn't part of any race. There was no record to chase, no one to compete against.  I became the 1st and only solo woman to have rowed this route.

For 41 days:

  • No other boats in sight

  • No planes overhead

  • Just me and the ocean

It was the most remote I've ever felt and the time of my life.

Ocean Rowing Safety: More Calculated Than You Think

People think ocean rowing is reckless. It's not. It's calculated, planned, and highly governed, especially through events like the World's Toughest Row.

What people don't see:

  • The safety protocols

  • The thousands of hours of preparation

  • The strict qualification requirements

  • The constant weather monitoring and routing

That side doesn't make good news headlines.

More about Ocean Rowing
Liz Wardley and Andrew Breen celebrating after winning the World’s Toughest Row Pacific 2026 and setting a new pairs world record.
Liz Wardley holding a new race record banner after completing her 3,000-mile solo Atlantic row from La Gomera to Antigua.
Liz Wardley aboard her ocean rowing boat during her solo row from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands, with a rainbow over the Pacific.
Liz Wardley using her phone and navigation equipment inside the cabin of her ocean rowing boat during her solo Atlantic crossing.

Finishing The WORLD’s TOUGHEST ROW 2023/2024 

Career Timeline

Sailing & Ocean Rowing Achievements

What Drives Me: Passion Over Prestige

I've never done anything for money or prestige. I've done it because I wanted to be there. I've taken steps backwards in my career when it meant I could work on projects that mattered to me personally.

From Sacrifice to Selfish (in the Best Way)

For years, I put everything into making other people's dreams happen. Now I'm focused on my own projects and challenges.

What I want: To keep testing myself. Not just physically, but mentally, strategically, and creatively.

Liz Wardley and Andrew Breen holding oars beside the sea while preparing for their pairs ocean row across the Pacific.
A group of sailors in yellow waterproof gear on a boat, engaged in a training or race under stormy weather conditions, with a large sail, ropes, and a turbulent sea in the background.

Current Projects 2026:
Pacific Row & Weather Routing

  • Preparing to row across the Mid Pacific (World's Toughest Row)

  • Providing weather routing for ocean rowing teams

  • Competing in The Ocean Race Atlantic abord Oliver Heer Ocean Racing in September 2026

Get in Touch
Sailboat on open water with four crew members wearing yellow jackets. One crew member is hanging from the sail, and the others are adjusting lines. The sail has text that reads 'clean seas' and 'turn the tide on plastic.' The sky is blue with scattered clouds.

My Philosophy

Records and race wins are wonderful. But what matters most to me is the journey itself.

I travelled across Europe, worked for free, slept on boats, and learned from anyone willing to teach me. Every opportunity I've had, I've earned through showing up and doing the work.

I've spent more than half my life on a boat.
And I'm not done yet.

Get in Touch

Speaking Engagements & Mentoring Young Sailors

Motivational Speaking Topics

Most of my speaking work has been tied to the teams I've sailed with (sponsor-driven messages and charity events). But the talks I find most rewarding are the ones where I can share honest, raw experiences with people who are genuinely curious.

Audiences I connect with:

  • Young sailors starting their careers

  • Olympic athletes

  • Anyone trying to create their own opportunities

  • People who want to learn from real experiences, not just highlight reels

Mentoring the Next Generation of Sailors

In Papua New Guinea, I spoke to the Olympic team and local sailing community. The questions were raw and honest: "What happens if you don't win the race?"

My answer: You write a list about what you did wrong and you come back harder.

As you get seen as an "oldie" in the sport, people naturally gravitate towards you wanting mentoring relationships. I generally say yes to random people who message asking for chats, because someone did that for me once.

Speaking Events
Get In Touch
Liz Wardley speaking at a podium at Hilton Port Moresby talking about her solo ocean row as part of World's Toughest Row.
Liz Wardley guiding a young crew member on sailing a yacht.

Frequently Asked Questions

Liz Wardley speaking to the crowd after completing her solo Atlantic row from La Gomera to Antigua as part of the World's Toughest Row in 44 days, 4 hours, and 47 minutes.

  • No. Never have.

  • That it’s reckless. It's actually highly calculated and governed, with strict safety protocols and thousands of hours of preparation.

  • Different challenges. Sailing is faster, more technical, more team-dependent. Rowing is slower, more isolated, more about mental endurance. Both require you to dig deep in different ways.

  • I talk myself through it every single time. Fear doesn't stop me, it's just part of the package. Once I'm out there, I love it.

  • Create your own opportunities. If there's a boat you want to be on, offer to clean it. Start at the bottom. Take steps backward when necessary. That's how I've done it my entire career.

  • Rowing across an ocean. I know that sounds like a joke, but it's true. When I'm not working, I'm kitesurfing, wing foiling, stand-up paddleboarding, or fishing.

  • I capsized just 36 hours before finishing my record-breaking Atlantic row - a full 360-degree roll. But you just keep going. There's no other option.

Surprising Facts

Scared of Water and Darkness (But Rows Oceans Anyway)

I won't walk out onto my deck at night at home unless there's a light on. When I'm rowing solo in pitch darkness, I have to talk myself through it every single time. But I do it, because no one else is going to row those oars for me. And once I'm out there, I love it.

Sailing Superstitions & Lucky Charms

  • No bananas on the boat (old fishing tradition, I'm deadly serious about this)

  • Toast Neptune at key moments to keep me safe

  • Emotional support crocodile on every row

Interesting Facts & Career Highlights

  • I've logged nearly 1 million nautical miles across the world's oceans

  • I lived on my rowboat while preparing for the Atlantic row

  • I was the first person to do WTR Atlantic and Pacific back to back

  • 1st and only solo woman to row from Hawaii to Marshall Islands

  • I did my first Volvo Ocean Race at 20 with no Southern Ocean experience. When they asked, I said "What's that?"

  • My rowboat was called 'Tic Tac' because it looks like a half-eaten tic tac

  • Iworked for free for engine and hydraulic mechanics early in my career to gain expertise, and did sail-making in New Zealand and France

  • When I'm not sailing or rowing, I'm kitesurfing, wingfoiling, or fishing

Liz Wardley aboard her ocean rowing boat with her green crocodile mascot during her solo Atlantic crossing.
“No bananas on the boat” graphic representing Liz Wardley’s lifelong sailing superstition that bananas bring bad luck at sea.
Liz Wardley rowing her solo ocean rowing boat Tic Tac near a rocky coastline.

TESTIMONIALS

  • Carsten Heron Olsen, Race Director and CEO of The World’s Toughest Row.

    Carsten Heron Olsen, Race director and CEO - The World’s Toughest Row.

    "Liz Wardley is one of the most competent ocean athletes I’ve had the privilege of working with. Very few people prove themselves across both the Atlantic and Pacific, and Liz has done so at the highest level; from a record-breaking solo Atlantic crossing to an incredible Pacific campaign as part of a pair and now preparing to take on the Pacific once again. What sets her apart is her mindset: calm under pressure, highly experienced, and relentlessly determined. She consistently makes good decisions when it matters most, which is ultimately what defines success in ocean rowing. As both a competitor and a person, Liz brings professionalism, resilience, and a quiet strength that elevates any team or challenge she takes on."

  • Tracy Edwards MBE, British sailor and skipper of the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race.

    Tracy Edwards MBE - British Sailor

    “Liz was Guest Skipper on Maiden twice during her World Tour 2018 to 2024, as we invited female legends to lead the crew for a few months at a time. I knew Liz by reputation obviously and so was not surprised that she was a fantastic addition to our team. Not only does Liz has phenomenal skills, experience and expertise but she is a natural leader and was an inspiration to the young women in the Maiden crew. Liz has boundless energy, endless enthusiasm for the task in hand and is not afraid to get down and dirty when needed! The feedback from the crew was that Liz had shown them what was possible for them to achieve and she played a significant role in preparing Heather Thomas to Skipper Maiden to victory in the OGR. Liz will always be an important part of Maiden’s story, and I am so glad she found the time to spend with us. We watch for her next adventure with anticipation!”