Kelsey PfendlerSpeaker and Booking Agent Information

Kelsey Pfendler is an adventurer, professional river guide, and ocean rower who gained international attention in July 2026 after becoming the first American woman to row solo from California to Hawaii, covering over 2,400 miles across the Pacific. A lifelong water enthusiast, Pfendler has worked as a Grand Canyon river-rafting guide since age 18, leading multi-day expeditions on the Colorado River. She has also competed on the USA Women’s Open Raft Race Team and represented the U.S. in the World Rafting Championships. In 2024, she skippered a four-woman team across the same route. In May 2026, she launched solo from Monterey, California, in her 21-24-foot rowboat "Lily", aiming to become the first American woman, the youngest woman, and the fastest to complete the unsupported mid-Pacific crossing. She finished in just under 44 days (43 days, 17 hours, 55 minutes), smashing previous women’s (86+ days) and men’s (52 days) records. Her journey raised funds for mental health support for Grand Canyon river guides via The Whale Foundation. Pfendler’s feat highlights resilience, endurance, and inspiring women in extreme sports.