By Maren Ingram, Editor-in-Chief
Imagine flying a tiny airplane at 10,000 ft. above the ground, cruising at 185 miles per hour, around the world. Or better yet, imagine being only 19 years old and doing it alone. This is exactly what 19-year-old Zara Rutherford from Belgium is doing – attempting to be the youngest woman to fly completely solo around the world.
Rutherford started in Belgium back in August of 2021 and will be flying over 52 countries with the goal to end the journey and set the record in November. Over the course of her trip, she has made many pit stops along the way, including Iceland, Greenland, Costa Rica and even in our very own backyard – the First Flight Airport in the Birthplace of Aviation, Kill Devil Hills, N.C.
I was shocked and amazed when my mom mentioned that a 19-year-old female pilot attempting to be the youngest woman to fly solo around the world would be landing a mere three minutes from our house back on Aug. 29. Growing up, I was always very intrigued with Amelia Earhart and her story, so the thought of someone attempting such a big feat visiting my tiny hometown was astonishing.
After multiple delays due to weather conditions on the day that Rutherford would be flying into the First Flight Airport, everyone was starting to think that she would skip this stop and continue on down to Fayetteville, where her overnight stop would be. But just as we were getting ready to head over to my grandmother’s house for dinner, my mom got word that Rutherford had landed. We rushed out the door and headed straight to the airport.
Seeing Rutherford make her landing and watching her climb out of the tiny aircraft and thinking about the great distances she had traveled so far was confounding. But what was more bewildering to me was the sheer courage and determination such a young woman must have to attempt something so utterly terrifying as flying around the world alone.
I relayed my astonishment to Rutherford when my sister and I got to meet and take a picture with her. I said to her: “You are so amazing and so brave, I would be so scared if I were you.”
Her response was quite possibly one of the most humble things I’ve ever heard. “I am a little scared,” she said, laughing and holding her finger to her lips.
That. That is what makes Rutherford such an incredible inspiration to young women all over the world who are watching her attempt something that seems so scary and completely impossible. Those few words that she said to me taught me that you can be a little scared while also being so incredibly brave and determined at the same time.
One of Rutherford’s ultimate goals, besides record-setting, of course, is to encourage young women to get into the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), or other fields that are male-dominated.
Individuals like Marie Curie and Florence Nightingale faced entering male-dominated STEM fields with incredible courage. Other powerful women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Frida Kahlo defied odds in terms of gender gaps especially within education and government office. These powerful women stand in the light for young girls to look up to and inspire them to follow in their footsteps’, especially when it comes to breaking gender gaps and stereotypes.
Even in today’s world it can take a lot of courage to walk into say, a college engineering class that is predominantly male-based, or to be the only female working for a specific company. But the thing is, the more we as women step up and gather the courage to face some of these battles, the easier it will get for other women down the road.
Zara Rutherford’s name will go down in history with some of the most famous names in women’s history – because of the sheer determination it’s taken her to attempt something that seems so impossible, but can be done with just a little courage.
So take the leap. Enroll in that STEM class, become an engineer, or learn to fly planes. And remember, you can do something courageous, defy the odds and break the stereotype, while being a little bit scared at the same time.
Senior Maren Ingram can be reached at 22ingramma01@daretolearn.org.
