Kayaking Around South America: Freya Hoffmeister Closes In On Finish

It has been quite awhile since we last checked in on Freya Hoffmeister, the long distance kayaking queen. If you're familiar with Freya, you probably already know that she is the first woman to kayak solo around Australia and is in the midst of attempting her second contingent by paddling completely around South America too. She's been working on that project for some time, and while she still has quite a ways to go before she is done, she is edging ever closer to completing that epic paddle as well.

As of now Freya is 630 days into the expedition and currently she is in Punta de Pesqueiro, Brazil. Considering the fact that she launched this journey from Buenos Aires, Argentina in August of 2011, I'd say she has made considerable progress. She has been traveling in a clockwise direction around the continent since that time, braving the treacherous waters of the Drake Passage, paddling solo up the west coast, and even passing through the Panama Canal.

During that time, she has taken a couple of breaks, flown home to Germany to rest, regroup and refocus. But she has always returned to the water and remained dedicated to completing this epic project. It seems she's in the stretch run now however, as she makes the final push toward a return to Buenos Aires, where the entire journey began.

At the moment, Freya is resting her weary body before returning to the water. She'll then head to Sao Luis, which will be her next major stopping point. She still faces a few months of paddling before she wraps up the expedition altogether, but the end is somewhat in sight, even if it is still a bit distant. With thousands of miles of kayaking now behind her, and hundreds yet to go, I'm sure Freya is focused on the finish line, and eager to be done, but the final push is going to require her to stay tough and power through the final weeks. That is something we know she is more than capable of doing.

I'll keep a close watch on Freya's final push toward the end, and of course let everyone know as she approaches Buenos Aires. As I mentioned, it's still some time off, but considering the distances she's already covered, it seems that her finishing the expedition is just an inevitability at this point.