It started with the trailer for the Netflix movie. I’m not normally drawn to “based on a true story” books or movies but that trailer immediately hooked me so when it finally released I watched the movie and needed to know more about Jessica Watson and her story! What an incredibly inspiring individual. I’m blown away by what she accomplished at only 16 and I enjoyed reading about every moment of her journey. Her dedication, passion, and grit at such a young age really goes to show that anyone can do anything if they dream big enough and want it bad enough. Which is the very message she wanted to convey throughout the course of her book. I feel so inspired to continue chasing my own dreams. To continue to dream big! If Jessica Watson, at the age of 16, can circumnavigate the entire world entirely alone, experiencing multiple near-death experiences, then I can write and publish those books. I can become my own boss and work for myself. I can improve my drawing and other creative abilities. If Jessica can do something as challenging as sail around the world, then I can accomplish my own dreams that just don’t seem as daunting in comparison. Not that my dreams aren’t just as important, they just seem so much more doable now! Great story of a 16 year-old girl who took on the high seas in a 34 foot sailboat. She started out as a little girl afraid of everything and gradually changed as she learned to sail (among other things). She began pestering her parents when she was 12 and by the time she was 14, they not only had given her permission to follow her dream but were actively working to make it a reality. By that point, Jessica had roughly 6,000 ocean and 6,000 coastal miles of sailing experience. She had also taken numerous courses, including several maritime safety and first-aid courses. She completed a radar course, diesel engine course, radio operator course, and a yachtmaster ocean theory course. I believed if I made the effort, had the right boat, prepared myself physically and mentally, developed my sailing skills, and sought out the knowledge a solo sailor needs, that I’d have as much chance as anyone to sail around the world.” I would rather be sailing than anything else, and I love the challenge of making my own decisions and overcoming the problems thrown at me.”

She told Entertainment Weekly, "The 15 ft. underwater is real because my emergency beacon did self-activate as the boat sank. That happened. But the time I was upside down for, it certainly felt like a long time. I haven't really got a concept of how long it was in reality, but we are talking seconds compared to what we see in the movie, which stretches on forever in minutes and minutes and minutes. That's a little bit of an exaggeration there, but it was real to the experience of it feeling like forever."Circumnavigating the globe is impressive as it is, but in Jessica's case, she was also a 16-year-old girl. In a year when most 16-year-olds were planking and doing the stanky leg, Jessica was sailing around the world solo. Earlier this month, Netflix premiered True Spirit, starring Titans' Teagan Croft as Jessica Watson. The movie also features Cliff Curtis, Anna Paquin, and Josh Lawson. True Spirit gives its viewers an honest and inspiring look at a remarkable story of determination and grit while also being littered with hits from the time, like Empire of the Sun's "Walking on a Dream," or "Geronimo" by Sheppard in a way that captures the essence of the early 2000s perfectly.

What an awesome story! You may remember last year when there was a bit of controversy over a young (16years old) Australian girl wanting to sail solo, round-the-World. Well, True Spirit is her story. Watson and her family lived on a boat for several years and this was when she developed her love of sailing. She loved to read about sailors and their solo journeys around the World. At around age 14, she decided that she would like to become the youngest person to sail solo and unassisted around the World. This was her dream and for the next two years, her main focus. She spent all her spare time reading books, talking to the sailors, crewing for local yachties, and generally mentally preparing herself. Single-minded, determined and ultra focussed, Watson won many supporters who not only helped her to organise sponsorship but also to prepare and equip her yacht. I know it for a fact that lots of people are inspired and encouraged by Jessica's spirits - determination and courage to realize their dreams. It is beyond doubt and it is also Jessica's initiative to write her blogs and publish the book.

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Jessica says that she handled it "really well." "I'm not sure if that means that I'm really simple or not, but I really did enjoy being by myself," she told 60 Minutes Australia. "I obviously really missed everyone, you know, from the day, the minute I started out of Sydney Harbour, you know, it was something's missing and I missed everyone so badly, but I did, I really enjoyed it. You know, once I got used to it, I enjoyed, you know, the sort of freedom, the independence of being by yourself."

By 16, she had decided to circumnavigate the world by herself. On October 18, 2009, she (literally) set sail on her boat, Ella's Pink Lady, a 34-foot Sparkman & Stephens yacht. In the process, she faced monstrous waves, storms, and understandable loneliness. She would sail 18,582 nautical miles, which, for those that don't know, is slightly longer than a mile on land by 0.1508 miles. Jessica documented her travels on her blog and by video, which would become well-known and still holds hundreds of comments. I don't need a wish. I've got the ability to dream; that's all anyone needs to make their wishes and dreams come true. You don't need a shooting star, you can do it yourself." They all had great advice and kept reminding me to have fun and enjoy every moment of my adventure, from the preparation to the end and each second in between.” Jessica Watson's journey was interesting to read about because of her determination to complete her dreams. She set this goal when she was turning 13 and kept persevering and convincing her family and fiends she was capable. During her preparation their was a lot lot media reporting on her. Majority of the media were saying the Jessica's parents were mad for letting her attempt such a life threatening journey at the age of 16. 210 days after departing from Sydney Jessica returned in her trusty boat the pink lady proving the media wrong and making her family proud. Jessica showed true courage and perseverance. This is why she is one of my role models. We had all come to terms with the dangers involved in what I was planning, so we didn’t let this stop us.”

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I knew that in one horrifying incident I had given fuel to anyone who had criticized me and my parents for what I was trying to do. In their eyes, I had proved exactly why I shouldn’t ever be permitted to sail alone. However, in that same moment, I had proved to myself that I had the ability to achieve my dream. Any doubts about whether I could cope mentally vanished. I realized my inner strength. Imagine what chain of events would have had to occur for a teenager who was washing dishes to pay for sailing experience, with no boat and only a dream, to become the girl who two years later would sail into Sydney harbor to the rapturous welcome of tens of thousands of fans, the public praise of the Prime Minister, and international sailing stardom!