LITTLETON, Colo. (KDVR) — Sunday is the last day of Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
Eating disorders impact millions of Americans, with 9% expected to be affected at some point in their lives, according to the National Eating Disorders Association.
A local athlete is using her own experience to take her cause around the world, literally.
“Being able to help others with the way that I’ve suffered,” Jayme Linker said, “I mean it seems really silly to have suffered and not utilize it for something good for all of these years.”
Linker is from Fort Morgan and she’s been recovering from her own eating disorder for 24 years.
“One of the biggest ways that I’ve found to be able to manage my eating disorder is by doing physical endeavors,” Linker said.
She calls herself an adventure athlete, typically keeping her own training on land.
“Rowing was the next hardest thing that we just found and lo and behold here I am,” Linker said. “How much harder can I make it?”
That was less of a question and more of a challenge to herself when she rowed the Atlantic Ocean in 2021 and half the Pacific in 2023.
“We are getting ready to do a 14,000-mile circumnavigation row around the world,” Linker said.
Her next challenge will take her to the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas, followed by a row from Spain to Florida, and then she’ll row the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii.
She will rest after that row and sail from Hawaii to Australia.
Her last leg will take her from western Australia to Mauritius crossing the Indian Ocean.
The entire trip starts in May of this year with a few breaks in between and ends in March 2026.
“As we’re doing our journey our mission is going to be reaching out to as many people around the world as possible for our charities, trying to make an impact for these people and raise as much money and awareness as we can,” Linker said.
Her charity called the Bear Moose Hideaway will revolve around wilderness therapy for people recovering from an eating disorder just like she did.
“It gives people a place that they can come in a safe environment where they can stay as long as they need to along their recovery journey so we can really set them up for success,” Linker said.
Her feats got the attention of documentary filmmakers, and her story called Resolve is online now.
“One day at a time is what they say in most different recovery programs and that is the truth,” Linker said.
Her journey across oceans, through recovery is a testament to embracing a challenge, one stroke at a time.
Rogelio Mares
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