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Dee Caffari

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Dee Caffari is set to become an inspirational figure for the twenty-first century.

The 16th February 2009 saw Dee Caffari join a very exclusive sailing club of just two other sailors Britain's Mike Golding and Frenchman Jean Luc Van Den Heede who have succeeded in circumnavigating the world in both directions. This feat required Dee to be alone at sea for a total of nine months. Dee's new record is the first woman ever to sail solo around the world non-stop both ways. Dee has only been sailing professionally for ten years with just 18 months experience in racing, which makes the achievement all the more remarkable.

Dee Caffari originally sailed into the record books on 18 May 2006 when she became the first woman to circumnavigate the world the wrong way' against the prevailing winds and currents, solo, non-stop. It is an extraordinary achievement and a dramatic story. Only four men have ever managed to finish this route before. Dee 's incredible courage, determination, good humour and seamanship throughout her 178-day voyage have inspired many worldwide.

Dee knows more than most about the importance of having self-belief, staying motivated and facing fear. At one point in Dee 's solo circumnavigation, the nearest people to her were Astronauts on the International Space Station.

Dee has faced the dangers of icebergs tempestuous storms and the worst the Southern Ocean could muster. Without doubt, one of Britain 's most inspirational women, Dee tells her dramatic story with great grace, humour and insight. Her sense of fun and positive world-view ensure her presentations are entertaining and her messages about self-belief, motivation, building confidence, leadership, teamwork and over-coming your self-limitations are memorable. If appropriate, Dee 's talks include some extraordinary film footage taken aboard her yacht Aviva.

Vivacious. Gregarious. Inspirational. Funny. Courageous. Dee offers An Empower Hour', a keynote and an after dinner speech to remember.

A former schoolteacher, Dee 's life changed dramatically when she dared to follow her dream and her love of the sea and become a skipper. In no less than five years, Dee had proven her skills and talents and risen to the top of a very male-dominated profession. Her engaging character and her ability to lead and bring out the very best in others became apparent when she was selected to lead a team of amateurs in the tough Global Challenge Yacht Race in 20045. The only woman skipper in the race, Dee inspired her crew of 18 by handling the demanding and often frightening conditions of the Southern Ocean. Dee has had her leadership and teambuilding skills and her motivation tested in one of the most hostile environments in the world.

Dee has announced that she will be racing in the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge which begins on 5 November 06 and runs for 6 days.

The Challenge is a gruelling six-day adventure race combining cross-country trekking, mountain biking, road cycling and kayaking, so it will be a real departure from Dees ocean based exploits.

Launched as a major charity initiative to raise money for children and cancer charities in Australia, the Challenge is branching out globally this year to attract international celebrities and sponsors. Dee Caffari will compete in an all-female team and will be racing against at least 12 other four person teams made up of corporates, adventure racers, celebrities and other sportspeople.

Announcing her participation in the Challenge, Dee said Im always looking for the next big challenge, so saying yes to Marks event wasnt a difficult decision for me to make, really. Adventure racing isnt something Ive done before, but I cant wait to get started. I keep saying I can only run 72 feet though the length of her yacht, so Ill have to work on improving that! After six months alone in the fierce conditions of the open ocean, I know a lot about self-motivation and hard work, so I feel confident I can take the Challenge head-on. On Aviva I became very fit in an anaerobic sense the main mast weighs as much as two grown men and I had to change it quickly so, physical strength was a matter of necessity however, after being confined to such a small space for so long, my aerobic fitness is going to need a kick-start!

In July 2006 Dee collected the coveted Chichester Prize at Cowes Week for solo sailing. She also received an honorary doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University. Dee was also at the launch of the Big V Sail to Cork with TV presenter Ben Fogle, Mark Webber, the Australian F1 driver and Rhys Jones, the youngest man to climb the highest peaks in all 7 continents.

What the Papers Say About Dee Caffari.

'Dee Caffari is poised to become the new heroine of British sailing.'
The Independent on Sunday (22 Jan 2006)

'Want to set a world record? Try going the wrong way. The 26,000-mile voyage is billed as the last first still to be achieved by a yachtswoman.'
The Independent (21 Nov 2005)

'She will be heading east-to-west, against winds of up to 40 feet, and expects to be at sea for up to 170 days. Only four people, all men, have completed the feat before.'
The Economist (12 Nov 2005)

'The thing that struck me since meeting Dee for the first time is her immense confidence and competence. The right stuff for an around-the-world skipper is not just about sailing a boat and leading a team it is having to handle the sponsors, meeting their needs as well as the aspirations of your crew. Not everyone can win. What they need is a number of skills and qualities to do this. She is gregarious, which is important because a crew wants to know where it stands. She also has a lot of empathy with her crew. Dee has tremendous qualities and she does invoke confidence, not just in herself but in everyone around her.'
Sir Chay Blyth on Caffari The Guardian (26 Nov 2005)

'Despite never having met her, you feel that you want to stretch across South America and give her a big hug. Is MacArthur a rival or an inspiration? An inspiration I have drawn on her strength I love the comparison. She brought sailing into everyones home. If it were not for her, nobody would have believed in me. Hopefully, people will now think there is someone else who can do this, not just Ellen.'
The Sunday Times (8 Jan 2006)

Dee's story of her solo voyage around the world has powerful messages about self belief, taking on challenges and staying motivated when things get tough. Her talk really struck a chord with an international audience of senior managers at a Women in Business event recently. Although Dee has a busy sailing schedule summer 2007, she is taking bookings for the Autumn onwards. Her book 'Against the Flow' will be out in September.

Dee is available as a Motivational Speaker, a Sporting Speaker and an entertaining After Dinner Speaker. She is an inspirational speaker on Teamwork and Leadership too. Presenter. Host. Award Ceremonies.

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Video of Dee Caffari

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Find out how to book Dee Caffari as the motivational speaker for your next event by calling Speak Out on 0131 654 1000 or clicking here.

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