Taryn was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. Growing up, her favorite moments were spent at the ice rink where she competitively figure skated and at Johnson Lake where she spent lots of time on the water.

Taryn will always love the Cornhusker State, but she fell for Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains during a college winter-break yurt trip. She quickly applied to work at nearby Redfish Lake Lodge, a gorgeous summer resort nestled in the Sawtooths.

What was supposed to be a summer turned into a five year career: Taryn lived at Redfish Lake for half of the year and spent the winters traveling the world, gradually “upping the stakes” of her adventures.

Taryn’s first solo trip began in 2022 with a season in the French alps. That spring, she took a break from skiing to become a certified yoga teacher under the instruction of Mariza Smith in Chamonix, France.

Later that year she read an article in Vogue about four women rowing across the Pacific Ocean. Captivated by a sport that combines physical endurance and boats (a passion inherited from her grandfathers who both sailed), Taryn signed up to race in the World’s Toughest Row, having never rowed before.