Two years ago, Elaine Chua didn't even know how to sail. So she was as surprised as anyone to find herself on the crew of a 72-foot yacht racing around the globe! Today, she is one of 17 crew members on board the yacht Serco for Save the Children, sailing off the east coast of Brazil. She is two months into the Global Challenge, which is often called the world's toughest yacht race.

Even as a girl growing up in Singapore, Elaine was always adventurous. She enjoyed hiking and camping trips, mountain biking, rollerblading, canoeing, and traveling. After graduating from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a Diploma in Business Studies, Elaine got a job. But her stable lifestyle didn't last long. Elaine was bitten by the sailing bug, and soon applied to join not just any race, but a race around the globe, traveling the wrong way.

Yachts that are part of the Global Challenge sail against the ocean currents and winds, opposite the way that sailors have traveled for thousands of years. It's much more difficult this way, which is how the Global Challenge earned its "world's toughest race" nickname. But, as Elaine and her fellow crew members would agree, it's also much more exciting.

Elaine was first drawn to the Global Challenge by the excitement. But she also liked the fact that the race benefited a good cause: the charity organization Save the Children. And she was interested in seeing how she would do as part of a team, since she would be living and working with her fellow crew members in a very small space. Elaine's daring and tenacity won her a spot in the race, and with sponsorship from APL, she was off. The yachts set sail from England in September 2000, and Elaine quickly began to learn more about both her fellow crew members and the art of sailing.

She's several months into the race now and is nearly across the Atlantic. What do you think her toughest challenge has been? Download the case study to find out!