Where Is ‘True Spirit’ Sailor Jessica Watson Now? Details

When Australian sailor Jessica Watson was only 16, she made an impossible journey. She was the youngest person to attempt global circumnavigation, and she left Sydney, Australia, in October 2009. She returned on May 15, 2010, only 21,600 nautical miles shy of completely sailing the globe. However, for her efforts, she was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia.

Jessica’s incredible journey has been recorded in books and documentaries about her experience. Now, Netflix has created a film based on her autobiography called True Spirit, starring Titans actress Teagan Croft. With the film set for release on Feb. 3, 2023, viewers are curious: What is Jessica Watson doing now? Keep reading for everything you need to know.

Before her global journey, Jessica told the Los Angeles Times why she decided to take on such an enormous challenge. She said, “I wanted to challenge myself and achieve something to be proud of. And yes, I wanted to inspire people. I hated being judged by my appearance and other people’s expectations of what a ‘little girl’ was capable of.”

Following the completion of her journey in 2010, Jessica wrote a book about her experience called True Spirit, which was published two months after her return home.

She also filmed a documentary marking the process of her global excursion, including her preparations, her voyage, and her return home. The documentary, titled 210 Days: Around the World with Jessica Watson, was released on ONEHD in 2010.

As an adult, Jessica has continued to sail, but she’s also continued writing. Her debut novel, a middle-grade book called Indigo Blue, was published in 2018. In her excited Instagram post announcing the book’s release, Jessica says she wrote Indigo Blue because “I want more young girls to fall in love with sailing! I’m hoping that this book will help them do that.”

Jessica has also continued to travel around the world, from her native Queensland to New York City. Many of her social media posts are dedicated to speaking engagements, where she encourages young women to seek out their own adventures and get involved in sailing. For the Netflix film True Spirit, she even taught Teagan to sail!