Kirsty Young's castaway is the solo yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur. She was 28 when she became the fastest person to sail solo around the world, and has been called the 'first true heroine of the 21st century'. She still sails with friends and with the charity she set up for children with cancer and leukaemia, but her ambition now is to try to find a way of living the same sustainable existence on land that she lives at sea. When your life depends on it, she says, you realise how scarce food and fuel really are.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]Favourite track: Boys of Summer by Don Henley Book: SAS Survival Handbook by John 'Lofty' Wiseman Luxury: A fluffy purple worm (which has been taken everywhere).
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other recent transcribed episodes
Transcribed and ready to explore now
Before the Crisis: How You and Your Relatives Can Prepare for Financial Caregiving
06 Dec 2025
Motley Fool Money
OpenAI's Code Red, Sacks vs New York Times, New Poverty Line?
06 Dec 2025
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
OpenAI's Code Red, Sacks vs New York Times, New Poverty Line?
06 Dec 2025
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
Anthropic Finds AI Answers with Interviewer
05 Dec 2025
The Daily AI Show
#2423 - John Cena
05 Dec 2025
The Joe Rogan Experience
Warehouse to wellness: Bob Mauch on modern pharmaceutical distribution
05 Dec 2025
McKinsey on Healthcare