Laura Dekker set off from Gibraltar in 2010 with 1,000 euros and sailed around the world alone at the age of 14. She talks about life on the water, letting go as a mother and what thrills have to do with freedom.
It’s rare that Laura Dekker isn’t on her sailing ship. However, it is currently in a Dutch port for repairs. Dekker sailed around the world alone at the age of 14, the youngest person ever to do so. Today she is 28 and runs a sailing training ship with her partner, where they also live with their two children. She invites people to Medemblik on the IJsselmeer for a conversation, where they will live for six months. Dekker hasn’t had solid ground under his feet for such a long time in 20 years. “Far too long!” she says, “I miss our boat, the wind, the weather.” She laughs a lot during the conversation and is fully concentrated for over two hours, even though her one-year-old son is running around in the apartment.