When we think about true adventurers, few stories captivate quite like Alison Gieschen’s. Currently circumnavigating the globe by sailboat with her husband Dan, Alison embodies what it means to live a life of purpose, passion, and persistent courage. Her journey from competitive equestrian to global sailor and prolific author offers powerful lessons about embracing life’s unexpected turns.
Photos Courtesy of Alison Gieschen
Alison’s story begins on a 100-acre farm in upstate New York, where horses became her first love. By her early teens, she was competing at elite levels, even qualifying for screening trials for the Junior Olympics. This passion for horses never waned—even after relocating to North Carolina, she brought her beloved horses along and eventually established her own farm. Her equestrian expertise evolved into training horses for vaulting (gymnastics on horseback), leading to her team becoming the largest on the East Coast and her daughter placing eighth globally in the World Equestrian Games.
What makes Alison’s story particularly fascinating is how her life’s path intersected with sailing. She met her husband Dan at a sailboat race—a meeting that would change everything. After just one weekend together, Dan mentioned his dream to sail around the world. Alison’s response? “Mine too. Let’s get married.” Four days later, he proposed, and she accepted. This impulsive yet profound connection illustrates Alison’s approach to life: when something feels right, she commits wholeheartedly.
Since 2018, Alison and Dan have been living aboard their sailboat, navigating oceans and visiting nearly 50 countries. Their journey hasn’t been without challenges—from surviving “The Perfect Storm” with 20-foot waves that tore equipment from their boat to a harrowing Pacific crossing where virtually everything that could go wrong did. Yet through it all, Alison maintains her creative spirit, writing prolifically and publishing books spanning multiple genres.
What’s particularly striking about Alison’s adventures is her candid admission of fear. Despite sailing the world’s oceans, she describes herself as “the bravest chicken on the planet.” This paradox captures something essential about courage—it’s not the absence of fear but the willingness to proceed despite it. When their first ocean crossing went terribly wrong, Alison was ready to quit. A chance encounter with her sailing mentor, who happened to be three boats away in a harbor with hundreds of vessels, provided the encouragement she needed to continue.
Throughout her journey, Alison has maintained her passion for storytelling. From her sailing memoir “Riding the Waves of Reality” to her novel “The Seven” (which explores the connections between horses and humans across cultures) to children’s books about mermaids and vaulting, her creative output is as diverse as her adventures. She describes her writing process as organic—stories play like movies in her head, and she simply transcribes them. 
Alison’s story reminds us that adventure means different things to different people. As she wisely observes, “Adventure is pushing the limits of what you think you can do and seeing if you can do it.” Whether it’s competing in equestrian events, teaching English, writing across genres, or navigating treacherous waters, Alison Gieschen consistently pushes her limits while embracing life’s unpredictability with grace and determination.
For anyone feeling stuck or afraid to pursue their dreams, Alison’s journey offers this wisdom: “If you have a dream, you need to go for it, because life’s too short not to go for it.” In a world that often encourages playing it safe, her example shines as a beacon for those willing to set sail into the unknown.
To learn more about Alison and her books check out www.alisongieschen.com.
