True Spirit: The Aussie girl who took on the world

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Now a Netflix film* The inspiring true story of Jessica Watson—an Australian teenager who set out to sail solo around the world!

Jessica Watson had a perfect way of describing her adventure that made me feel like part of it. I was invested in her journey. Titan’s Teagan Croft takes on the role of Watson in True Spirit, while True Blood’s Anna Paquin plays her mother, and House of Lies’ Josh Lawson plays her father. Circumnavigating the globe is impressive as it is, but in Jessica's case, she was also a 16-year-old girl. In a year when most 16-year-olds were planking and doing the stanky leg, Jessica was sailing around the world solo. Earlier this month, Netflix premiered True Spirit, starring Titans' Teagan Croft as Jessica Watson. The movie also features Cliff Curtis, Anna Paquin, and Josh Lawson. True Spirit gives its viewers an honest and inspiring look at a remarkable story of determination and grit while also being littered with hits from the time, like Empire of the Sun's "Walking on a Dream," or "Geronimo" by Sheppard in a way that captures the essence of the early 2000s perfectly.

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Watson’s parents certainly copped some flak, both in the media and from strangers on the street, but they had brought all their children up to be responsible and independent - and I don’t think that they could have stopped her from her round-the-World attempt even if they tried! Did Jessica perform the tradition of dunking herself in salt water when she crossed the equator for the first time?

What is it in the sea life which is so powerful in its influence? … It whispers in the wind of the veldt, it hums in the music of the tropical night … above all it is there to the man who holds the nightwatch alone at sea. It is the sense of things done, of things endured, of meanings not understood; the secret of the Deep Silence, which is of eternity, which the heart cannot speak. Reading about it all a decade later, however, did not change the fact that even at a young age, Jessica Watson had dreams. And she dreamt BIG. It is also clear that from her perspective, she worked hard to reach her dreams. She has first proven to her parents that she's serious and once she's got their support, she also received many others. Both morally & financially. Written in three sections, the first part covers Jessica’s family life, her relationship with her siblings and parents and how she came to sail. I found it interesting that the family grew up travelling in their family boat and for most part the children were home schooled which allowed plenty of time to learn practical outside classroom skills.It can get a bit confusing but throughout this book I have used miles to measure distances on land, and nautical miles to measure distances at sea.