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Only nine women in the world have ever rowed two oceans; only one of those is a paraplegic. Only one woman has rowed two oceans and circumnavigated Great Britain by paddle, let alone with a disability. Now Angela Madsen is adding to her resume with a new conquest: an attempt to row from Morocco to Barbados.

Madsen will depart Agadir, Morocco and head to Port St. Charles, Barbados on Jan. 2, 2011 with the hopes of breaking the current record of 33 days. Her boat will be the Big Blue, the world's largest ocean rowing catamaran designed and built on Shelter Island, New York.

Madsen's previous accomplishments include an Atlantic crossing 2007, crossing the Indian Ocean in 2009 and circumnavigating Great Britain in 2010.

She is also on the US Rowing Team and competed in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, China.  She is a four-time World Championship Gold Medalist and a Level 3 Rowing Coach.  She is the Founder, Director and Coach/instructor of the California Adaptive Rowing Program, a non-profit program which teaches disabled people to row since 2000. Visit www.carplb.net.

On Feb. 7, 2008, she became the first paraplegic woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean. Her rowing partner, Franck Festor, an amputee from France, did not speak English and Angela does not speak French. They rowed nearly 3,000 miles in 67 days, coming in 8th place in the pair’s class. There were 22 boats in the race and they were the only physically challenged athletes. Visit www.rowoflife.com.

In 2009 Madsen rowed across the Indian Ocean from Geraldton, West Australia, for 3,600 miles to Mauritius an Island east of Madagascar with a crew of eight on a 58-day adventure. She is now one of the first women to row across the Indian Ocean and the first disabled woman to row across two oceans.

In 2010 Madsen was part of another world record setting rowing crew of four women. They became the first and fastest women’s crew to circumnavigate Great Britain and Angela has become the first and only person with a disability to have rowed the 2,010 miles non stop and unsupported from London's Tower Bridge to London's Tower Bridge in 51 days.

Madsen is a 50-year-old grandmother of three from Long Beach, CA. She is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a life member of both the Disabled American Veterans and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Angela also enjoys working with newly injured vets to get them involved with adaptive sports. In February of 2003, the Amateur Athletic Foundation named Angela as a recipient of the Women Who Inspire Us Award; in September of 2003, she received the Leo Reilly, Jr. Award for outstanding spirit and determination.

Sea trials for her latest adventure took place on Shelter Island Nov. 4-8 The boat achieved speeds up to 7 knots. The crew performed an overnight row and circumnavigation of Shelter Island and followed the sea trial up with some survival training.

For more information on her trip visit www.Rowoflife.com.