That’s when Nikki Henderson stepped in.
” I helped since I desired to see what Greta was actually like, get to understand her and be able to inform myself about what she represents,” the 26- year-old British sailor tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.
The problem was that Nikki was in the UK when she was asked by Australian YouTubers Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu to join them on their luxury yacht, ferrying Greta back to Europe.
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Nikki Henderson
Nikki and Greta were signed up with on the boat by Greta’s father, YouTubers Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu and their baby, Lennon.
And with simply two days discover she had no choice but to fly to meet them.
She was criticised for that decision as the entire mission was expected to be carbon-neutral.
” In a perfect world, yes, I would have cruised there and cruised back,” she states.
” But this is a more symbolic trip. Greta wanted to cruise due to the fact that it’s a great way to send a message to the world that there is no genuine sustainable choice to take a trip.
” She’s not telling anyone how to take a trip, she’s not telling anybody how to live their life.”
‘ We invested nights in a lightning storm’
So, Nikki, Greta, Greta’s daddy Svante, Riley, Elayna and the couple’s infant Lennon set sail from Virginia, United States on 13 November and invested nearly 3 weeks at sea on a 48- foot boat.
” We invested quite a lot of time together in quite a little space,” Nikki says.
” We had most of our meals together. We sat outside together and had great deals of conversations. We looked after Lenny the child together.”
However crossing the Atlantic in the winter isn’t everything about cosy dinners and sitting under the stars.
” We had a number of nights in a lightning storm which was both incredible and, I suppose, quite scary,” says Nikki.
” I saw a couple of streaks hit the water and stimulate quite near to the boat so they were quite tense nights although the majority of people are watching out the windows and looking and stating: ‘Wow’.”
‘ Greta is undoubtedly extremely brave’
As a professional sailor, Nikki says that she understands to be gotten ready for the unexpected, but weather like this, 40- knot winds and five-metre high waves were “quite nerve wracking.”
However experiences like these also helped her find out more about Greta.
” I believe it takes a particular type of individual to cross the Atlantic in the winter season – she’s undoubtedly really brave,” states Nikki.
” I take my hat off to her and her daddy for joining us. That was a pretty bold thing to do.”
” They didn’t do it on their own, they did it to send out a message. It felt really selfless.”
After costs 19 days with her at sea, Nikki explains Greta as “friendly, quiet and kind” and says the experience has actually taught her why she is so “fascinating.”
” Her passion encounters if you understand her as a person along with if you see her on phase or you see a setting aside parliament on the flooring,” Nikki states.
” She’s so captivating because she genuinely, authentically is real to her message in every way.”
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Getty Images
Nikki got here in Lisbon with Greta on 3 December.
The boat landed in Lisbon, Portugal on 3 December and Nikki says the arrival was a “culture shock.”
” At sea you eat really easy food, you don’t consume any alcohol, and you live an extremely easy life without any option or showering,” she states.
” Simply seeing lots of people was a culture shock. The other day when we got here in the dock, there were thousands and thousands of people.”
‘ I make certain we’ll touch permanently’
After reaching land, Greta and Nikki will take a trip on to Madrid, but she thinks the experience they showed the boat’s crew will make them friends for life.
” A journey like that across an ocean constructs bonds that are really, very tough to recreate in any other locations of life.
” I’m coming off with 4 excellent pals, which I make sure we’ll keep in contact with permanently.”
Nikki will go back to the UK by train.
While most people aren’t able to sail across the Atlantic, Nikki does think there are lessons to be gained from their journey.
” I think we did reveal that sailing across the Atlantic isn’t very practical and that we do need more sustainable alternatives readily available to the everyday individual,” she says.
” And I believe there’s definitely a message there about what you can attain if you work together, compromise on certain locations of your life and you work with nature.
” You can attain something truly exceptional if you’re if you’re prepared to do that.”
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