Growing up, Amelia Rose Earhart never thought she'd be a pilot.
Despite being named after the famous aviator, who disappeared while attempting a flight around the world in 1937, the Denver news anchor did not become interested in flying until she was in her 20s.
"I was about 21 when I had my first flight," Earhart told The Huffington Post in a phone interview. "It was the first time I could afford to take a flight lesson, and I absolutely fell in love with the process."
Ten years after that first flight, 31-year-old Earhart is planning to recreate her namesake's failed flight around the equator.
Image Source: Amelia Rose Earhart
In June 2014, Earhart and her co-pilot Theddy Spichtig will undergo a 14-stop journey in a single-engine Pilatus PC-12NG aircraft. She estimates that the trip will take 17 days.
Planning for this journey has involved months of research and training. Earhart told HuffPost:
We're looking at the political situations, we're looking at the climate, we're looking at how to budget for a trip like this -- and also psychologically, how to prepare for something that's going to take a lot of mental strength to continue. There are a lot of hazards that go along with it.
Image Source: Amelia Rose Earhart
As well as planning the flight, Earhart has been working on another passion project. The Fly With Amelia Foundation provides funds for girls aged 16-18 to attend flight school, and introduces aviation curricula to schools.
"One of the issues I ran into along the way was, it's so expensive to learn how to fly," she told HuffPost. "And if I'd had the financial help when I discovered that passion, it really could have helped me go further a lot faster."
Image Source: Amelia Rose Earhart
Earhart is hoping that the flight will inspire other women to try things they've been afraid of, and encourage more girls to pursue an interest in aviation.
"I want to be helping people discover what their version of adventure is," she told HuffPost.
Image Source: Amelia Rose Earhart
To learn more about Earhart's mission, check out her website.
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