Neal Petersen

Neal Petersen...The first black man to sail around the world solo in the longest race (27,000 miles) for an individual in any sport  Neal Petersen was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1967 under the cloud of apartheid. After many false starts, he finally participated in his first solo event across an ocean in 1992. Then in September, 1998, he set sail in Around Alone and eight months later completed the race in seventh place.

The story of that race is an integral part of the documentary film, No Barriers - The Story of Neal Petersen which is currently being shown on public television throughout the United States. Neal's No Barriers Education Foundation, which he established in 1996, provides subsidies for the education of youth. South Carolina named him Volunteer of the Year in 1998. Through video sales, book sales (of his autobiography) and public speeches, Neal hopes to raise millions of dollars before embarking on his next major race, The Globe Challenge in 2004.

Topic:
Turning Disadvantages Into Advantages

Back to:
Adventurers
Inspiring Success