Victoria Murden:A Profile in Competitive Thirst Victoria
E. Murden is known to friends as Tori. In
Tori Murden, we find a rare athlete who combines a natural sense of humility
with an unending desire for personal challenge.
Just as unusual is Tori?s aspiration to transform her singular
accomplishments into tools, perhaps opening doors so that others may benefit and
expand their own horizons. Meet American rower Tori Murden. Born on Mar. 6, 1963, Murden has been active her entire life ? as an athlete and coach. Her family moved often when Murden was young, and sports helped her feel at ease. She played college basketball and began rowing competitively at age 19. Besides
organized sports, Murden has long been drawn to Mother Nature?s playing field.
?I have this need to balance my urban adventure with rural
adventure,? says Murden. She is
an accomplished climber, having summited Alaska?s Mt. Silverthrone, Mt. Kenya
in Africa and Antarctica?s Lewis Nunatuk ? the first-ever summit by a woman.
Murden has also completed numerous ice climbing and kayaking expeditions.
In
1988, when working on her Masters in Divinity Degree at Harvard, Murden took
three months off between semesters to join the International South Pole Overland
Expedition. As part of a
nine-member team, Murden skied cross-country 750 miles to the geographic South
Pole and became the first American to accomplish the feat. In
1991, Murden dedicated herself to intense training, vying for a spot in single
sculls on the 1992 Olympic Rowing Team. On
her drive to Camden, N.J. for the trials, Murden was injured in a car accident.
Despite being shaken and scrambling to replace her damaged boat, Murden
competed in the trials and advanced. Murden
admitted to herself that with each race, the effects of the car accident were
taking a toll on her performance. Following
the tryout, Murden discovered she had suffered two broken ribs and a chipped
left tibia. At
the same time, Murden learned that fellow rower Michelle Knox had broken the
riggers (riggers hold the oars in place) on her scull and would be forced to
drop out. Instead, Murden chose to
forfeit her own chance to compete in the Olympics and donated her equipment to
Knox. ?Michelle
is one of the finest single scullers in the country,? Murden said.
?The instant I handed her my riggers, I thought, ?This is how it is
supposed to be. This is why I am
here. This is why I trained all
that time, so that I could actually be here to do something good for somebody
else?.? Knox placed second in
the final race and went on to compete in the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona. Murden?s
thirst for competitive rowing had not yet been quenched.
In 1997, Murden teamed with high school friend and experienced kayaker
Louise Graff to compete in the Port St. Charles Atlantic Rowing Race ? a 3,000
mile, east to west trans-Atlantic crossing from Los Gigantes, Tenerife, the
Canary Islands to Barbados. The
Murden-Graff team was one of 30 teams entered ? the sole American entry, and
the only all-female crew. Murden
assembled a team of volunteers to build the American
Pearl, raise the funds needed for the project, and create the American Pearl
web site. The multi-purpose Web
site allowed rowing enthusiasts and all of Louisville to follow the team?s
progress. The site also served as
an educational tool for Louisville-area school students. By
the time the race began Murden was ill. At
the end of the first day, she was suffering from severe food poisoning, (a fate
that befell several teams at sea in the race).
Graff decided Murden needed immediate medical attention and requested a
tow back to Tenerife. Murden spent
several days in the hospital semi-conscious.
But the team was determined. After
her release and a few days of rest, Murden and Graff convinced race organizers
to allow them to re-enter the race. The team made great progress for two days, but electrical
failure forced them to abort the effort and quit the Atlantic Rowing Race a
second time. Murden
returned to Louisville. Several months later, the founder and director of the
Ocean Rowing Society, Kenneth Crutchlow, contacted Murden.
Crutchlow remembered Murden from the Atlantic Rowing Race, and was
impressed by her fortitude and strong resolve to stay in the race.
Crutchlow, an ocean rowing enthusiast and long-time associate of Sector
Sport Watches, told Murden that Sector was seeking an American athlete, and was
interested in sponsoring a woman who could attempt the Northern Atlantic ?
solo, from west to east, continent to continent. At
first, Murden thought the idea ridiculous.
The west to east route is known as the ?wrong way? because of rough
seas, contrary winds and prevailing weather in the North Atlantic.
Only five rowers ? all men ? have completed the West to East
crossing. After a few days,
however, Murden seriously began to consider the challenge. In
late 1997, Murden went to Paris where she met the great French rower Gerard
d?Aboville, the only man to row solo across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
d?Aboville, a member of the Sector No Limits? Team, believed Murden a
worthy candidate to attempt a west to east crossing of the Atlantic. Sector
Sport Watches sponsored Tori, and with her friends, affectionately known as the
American Pearls, she went to work rebuilding the American
Pearl. On
June 14, 1998, Murden set out from Nags Head, N.C., heading for the West Coast
of France. The 3,600 mile journey
was to last more than 100 days. Thousands
of people from Murden?s home town of Louisville followed her every pull of the
oars, while millions worldwide logged on to the web site, tracking her progress.
Unfortunately,
Murden?s first capsize just eight days into the row damaged her communication
system. She spent the next 78 days
without contact with the outside world, except for three brief conversations
with passing ships. Murden, unable
to obtain any type of weather report or forecast, had no idea that she was
headed into a hurricane, and in fact, two hurricanes ? first Bonnie, then
Danielle. Murden?s friends, her
row support team in Louisville and her technical team in Paris could do nothing
to warn her, and were forced to stand by, helplessly watching.
The meteorologist working with Murden?s support team told the group to
prepare for the worst ? that Murden could not be expected to survive. On
Sept. 7, 1998, the remnants of Hurricane Danielle brought an end to Murden?s
attempt. The rower survived 15
capsizes and a severe battering over three days before calling for rescue.
She waited until the day after the storm had passed before activating her
distress beacon so that others would not be endangered in the rescue. Murden
safely boarded the bulk carrier Independent
Spirit and told friends via satellite telephone, ?I felt like I went 12
rounds with Mike Tyson in a bad mood.? Murden
suffered a dislocated shoulder, trauma to her head and numerous bruises.
?After I boarded the Independent Spirit, I reviewed a weather map,? said Murden.
?A force 10 grade gale was heading straight at us, and I realized I
would not survive another storm. I
realized it was not my time.? Although
she was 950 miles short of reaching her goal, Murden rowed 3,043 miles in 85
days ? spending more consecutive days alone at sea than any other woman rower.
Murden also set the record for the most continuous miles rowed solo by
any American, man or woman. Murden
said that if she made another attempt of the Atlantic, she would be spurred by
the fact that she almost succeeded. #
# # November
1999 Press Office Julie Wellik, Kevin Plagman and Dana
Ziegler Communications West
Telephone 415.863.7220 Tori Murden:Courage, Determination, Service to the Community Tori
Murden dedicates her life experience, skills and talents to working in areas
that are challenging and close to her heart and personal philosophy.
The rewards have proved equal to the tasks.
Following
high school at Collegiate in Louisville, Murden received a bachelor?s degree
from Smith College and a master?s degree in divinity from Harvard University.
While attending Harvard, Murden served as a counselor and chaplain at
Boston City Hospital, and worked at a homeless services center.
Murden says the work was one of her most difficult yet rewarding
experiences. Murden
returned to Louisville and continued working in community service.
From 1992 to 1994, she worked as a project coordinator for public policy
in the Louisville Mayor?s office. From
1994 to 1999, she served as project administrator for the Louisville Development
Authority?s Empowerment Zone Project. Murden
planned and implemented multimillion dollar programs designed to revitalize poor
and distressed neighborhoods. This spring Murden joined the staff of the Muhammad Ali
Center. As development director,
Murden focuses on raising funds for a future center in downtown Louisville that
will be a permanent legacy of Muhammad Ali.
The Center will document the incredible life journey of one of this
century?s most significant athletes. Most
importantly, it will serve as a permanent educational institution where the
values that shaped Ali?s life will be used to inspire people around the world,
especially children, ?to dream their own dreams and be all they can be.?
The Center?s Institute will provide training in
areas that Ali feels most strongly about, including tolerance, conflict
resolution, and positive self-esteem. Murden
is on leave from the Center to attempt her Atlantic crossing. Murden
has tapped her personal reserves to make time for volunteering, deliver public
speeches and coach rowing. She
helped start the rowing program at her high school alma mater, Collegiate, and
coached the rowing team for several years.
She also earned a Law degree from the University of Louisville, and was
admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1995. Ready to Take On the Atlantic Murden
spent last winter contemplating another attempt, then decided to try another
Atlantic crossing, this time East to West.
The Southern Atlantic route is about 500 miles shorter and warmer, with
fewer storms. With
the support of Sector Sport Watches, No Limits? Sports & Tech Wear, and
sponsors Fontana Candida Italian Wines and Fifth Third Bank of Louisville,
Murden, her friends and volunteers worked through the summer to make extensive
changes to the American Pearl. Murden
learned much from her first solo attempt and made design modifications, while
preparing for the 3,000 mile journey with intense training in her single scull
on the Ohio River. On
Sept. 13, 1999, Murden departed from Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
She has been at sea two months, logging some 2,500 miles and averaging
more than 40 miles a day. She rows between 12-14 hours each day when weather permits.
Murden has set her sights on Guadeloupe, hoping to land in late-November.
If successful, Murden becomes the first woman and first American to row
an ocean alone and unsupported. Should
the weather cooperate and continue to smile on Murden, it?s possible she could
break the world?s record for speed for an ocean crossing.
The current record holder is Briton Sidney Genders, who completed a solo
crossing in 73 days, eight hours in July 1970.
While she is aware of the world?s speed record, Murden did not set out
to break it, and is instead concentrating on completing the crossing.
According to the Ocean Rowing Society?s Crutchlow, Murden must focus as
she approaches one of the more difficult tasks faced by ocean rowers:
a safe landing. This
spring, Murden was chosen the 1999 recipient of the prestigious Kentucky Derby
Festival?s Silver Horse Shoe Award. Honorees
are selected for their courage, determination and service to the community.
In her acceptance speech, Murden said that if she attempted to row the
Atlantic again, people would begin asking her least favorite question: ?why?? Murden
said, ?If I choose to row again, I may answer that question with a few
questions of my own. Why did
Muhammad Ali box? Why did Dan
Jansen skate around in circles? Why
do acorns grow into oak trees? Why
do caterpillars cocoon themselves to become butterflies?
And why, oh why, do horses run around a track the first Saturday in
May?? #
# # 09
November 1999 Press Office Julie Wellik, Kevin Plagman and Dana
Ziegler Communications West
Telephone 415.863.7220
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