Vendée Globe: Isabelle Joschke - "Afterwards you know who you are"

Vendée Globe skipper Isabelle Joschke reflects on her 2020-21 Vendée Globe campaign and how it helped her to grow and discover more about herself

Taking on one of the toughest challenges in the world, the Vendée Globe, is a true test of character and resilience. And for Isabelle Joschke, her third attempt at the solo round the world race was no exception. Battling storms, mechanical issues and personal challenges, she eventually crossed the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne in 36th place - 93 days after her fellow competitor Charlie Dalin. But despite the challenges, Joschke was proud of her achievement, knowing that she had pushed herself to the limit and learned a lot about herself in the process.

"The Vendée Globe is such a demanding race," she said. "It's a real test of your physical and mental strength, and it's important to have a lot of self-belief. I'm proud of what I achieved, and I'm grateful for the experience."

For Joschke, one of the biggest challenges of the race was the lack of sleep. "You're constantly on the go, and it's hard to get enough rest," she said. "But I knew that if I could just keep going, I would eventually reach my goal."

Another challenge was the loneliness of the race. "You're out there on your own, and it's easy to start feeling isolated," said Joschke. "But I focused on staying positive and motivated, and I knew that I had a team of people supporting me back home."

Joschke also faced some mechanical problems during the race. "I had an issue with my autopilot, and I also broke my mast," she said. "But I was able to fix both problems, and I was able to continue racing."

Despite the challenges, Joschke said that she enjoyed the race. "It was an incredible experience, and I learned a lot about myself," she said. "I learned that I'm stronger than I thought I was, and that I can achieve anything I set my mind to."

Joschke said that she is still processing her experience, but she is already looking forward to her next challenge. "I'm not sure what that will be yet, but I'm excited to see what the future holds," she said.