Where Is She Now?...Abby Sunderland, Teenage Solo Sailor

Where Is She Now?...Abby Sunderland, Teenage Solo Sailor: Abby Sunderland was just one of a host of people who momentarily grabbed the spotlight in 2010 and dominated a news cycle or two while getting their 15 minutes of fame. In this series, AOL News is checking in on 25 of these newsmakers and giving them a 16th minute.Abby Sunderland Made News in 2010 When She: Was rescued while attempting a solo sailing voyage around the world -- an audacious effort for a 16-year-old girl.


The Full Story: Abby Sunderland's solo circumnavigation of the globe at the age of 16, in a tiny sailboat, would have been noteworthy no matter what. But she didn't really break into the headlines until June, when her 40-foot sailboat, Wild Eyes, capsized in the Indian Ocean, about 2,000 miles from Australia. The world's eyes were glued to the dramatic rescue that ensued. The young sailor from Thousand Oaks, Calif., activated her emergency rescue plan, which included a set of flares. Meanwhile, her parents -- and then the world -- grew increasingly worried about her safety. After a few days, a French fishing vessel discovered Sunderland and brought her back to a French protectorate. The French and Australian governments footed the bill for Sunderland's rescue, but both governments later said they were happy to do so.


What's Happened Since? Since the theatrical rescue at sea, Sunderland has had plenty of media exposure. The 16-year-old gave a press conference a few days after her rescue. "My trip didn't end because of something I did wrong," she said. And what would a dramatic rescue at sea be without a book deal? Sunderland's planned book, "Unsinkable: A Young Woman's Courageous Battle on the High Seas," is being co-written by Lynn Vincent, who co-authored Sarah Palin's memoir. Sunderland's book won't be available until April 2011, according to her mother, but Amazon.com is already reserving copies. More recently, Sunderland has been visiting colleges and briefing NASA and Congress members, according to her blog.

In Her Own Words: "Crazy is the word that really describes everything that has happened best," Sunderland wrote on her personal blog after the storm.

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