beating the odds is always a great feeling just ask anyone who has ever won the lottery been accepted to a selective college or unexpectedly won an athletic event but beating the odds is never quite as exhilarating an experience as when the odds are against your survival age of 23 while she was sailing the south pacific Ashcraft was caught in a violent hurricane the 50-foot(15-meter) waves overturned her boat Ashcraft who was below deck was knocked unconscious when she awoke 27 hours later