Tracy was expelled from school at the age of 15 and with no exams or qualifications she left to travel the world. She began working on charter yachts in Greece at the age of 17 and learned how to sail. Tracy took part in her first Whitbread Round the World Race as cook aboard ‘Atlantic Privateer’ in 1985/86 becoming the first woman to race around the world on a Maxi. Upon completion she decided to enter the first all-female crew in the 1989/90 Whitbread and ‘Maiden’ crossed the start line on 2nd Sept 1989 and sailed into the history books. ‘Maiden’ went on to win two of the legs and came second in class overall. The best result for a British boat since 1977 and the best result for an all-female crew ever. Tracy was awarded the MBE and became the first woman in its 34 year history to be awarded the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy. Tracy founded The Maiden Factor in the process of rescuing her beloved yacht Maiden. In 2016 she decided she wanted to do more than just restore Maiden, she also wanted to make sure she was used for something special. Tracy is Patron of, fundraises for and supports a number of small but effective charities who facilitate the education of girls around the globe. New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. The tough girl podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.
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Show notes
Who is Tracy
Growing up in Reading and losing her father at 10 years old
Being expelled from school at 15
How she fell into sailing
Saying yes to opportunities
Female role models in sailing
Having amazing male mentors
Learning how to navigate
Fighting for gender equality and against injustice
Deciding to race around the world in the 1985/86 Whitbread Race
Taking the first steps into sailing as a cook
Gaining new skills and learning as much as she could
Finding out that she was tough enough
Wanting to prove that women could sail around the world
Turning the dream into a reality
Dealing with the negative pushback
Struggling to find the money
Getting Maiden to the start line!
Competition and collaboration
Why women are STRONG TOGETHER
The power of women working together
Dealing with the pressure of performance
Having to prove that women could sail around the world safely
Using the fear to motivate
Struggling to deal with stress
The Maiden Factor Foundation
Finding Maiden and getting the boat back
Starting a 3 year world tour on Maiden in 2018
Inspiring the next generation of girls
The impact of Covid on the charity
The process of making - Maiden The Movie
“Girls have got to see success in it’s raw form”
“Success can be messy”
The impact of Covid and having to cancel the American part of the tour
Doing a tour of UK and Ireland in April 2021
Missing people
Final words of advice
Social Media
Website https://www.tracyedwards.com Twitter @TracyEdwardsMBE The Maiden Factor - The Maiden Factor's mission is to continue Maiden's iconic legacy and inspire the next generation of girls through education Website - www.themaidenfactor.org Twitter @maidenfactor Facebook @TheMaidenFactor
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