FENTON, Mo. — It’s all hands on deck for one St. Louis County native attempting to break a world record.
Jenny Decker wants to be the first person with a rare neurological disorder to solo sail around the world.
“I would say it’s about 60% incredible and amazing and about 45% terrifying at times," Decker said.
Jenny Decker has set sail on multiple journeys across coasts and oceans.
“There’s this beauty in it that I’m experiencing things that a lot of people may not or will not experience," she said.
She and her first mate, her dog Romeo, have endured just as many hardships as treasures during their time on the water.
“COVID hit and I was kind of stranded at sea for two and a half months before returning to the U.S," she said.
Decker's upcoming trip will be the biggest challenge of her life.
“I am attempting to be the first solo sailor with Charcot-Marie Tooth disease to circumnavigate the globe.”
Decker was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder known as CMT.
“It affects your peripheral nervous system, so my arms and legs. The motor incensory of it is progressive, and there’s no cure for it.”
An ICU nurse herself, Decker’s disease is the wind to her sails.
“It’s kind of just become a life goal to create awareness for this disease that I have," she said.
It’s why this journey is about much more than breaking a record.
“I want to create awareness and so other people know how to get diagnosed because I was misdiagnosed for most of my early adulthood.”
She’s calling this trip “Just A Lap," and has named all her social media handles this as well.
“Even with these physical disabilities and pain and surgeries and falls and frustrations with not being able to do everyday tasks that you can literally do anything you put your mind to," she said.
But Decker wants to show the world that this trip stands for so much more, than just a lap.
“Your mind is literally stronger than any physical attribute that you have.”
You can support Decker’s record-breaking trip and her cause through a GoFundMe. You can also follow her journey through her Facebook and TikTok.