Shaun Newman Podcast

Replay Judy Reeves

Jul 10, 2025
Judy Reeves, a survivor of the 1991 Perfect Storm and a former International Fisheries Observer, shares her gripping journey at sea and the challenges faced during extreme weather conditions. She discusses the emotional complexities of life on a fishing vessel, from camaraderie to crisis management. Judy also dives into personal growth and the interplay of fear and love in life decisions, highlighting how transformative experiences shape one's identity and resilience. Her insights on the unpredictability of nature and the search for self-acceptance are both profound and inspiring.
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INSIGHT

Life's Multiple Layers of Meaning

  • Meaning in life comes in layers and stages, not a single definition.
  • Every phase of life offers new meaning and requires reinvention as circumstances change.
INSIGHT

Surviving The Perfect Storm: A Fisheries Observer's Tale of Resilience and Risk

Judy Reeves shares her harrowing firsthand experience during the 1991 Perfect Storm as an International Fisheries Observer aboard a Japanese tuna trawler. She explains the immense dangers faced, including navigating 120 mph winds, being stuck in the eye of the storm with no escape, and the critical moments when she called a Mayday despite resistance from the Japanese crew who feared the financial consequences of rescue operations.

She describes the challenges of communication on foreign vessels, the physical and psychological demands of the job, and the feeling of invisibility and struggle after surviving such traumatic events. Remarkably, Reeves chose to return to sea after the storm, driven by resilience and a refusal to be broken by the ordeal.

Her account exposes the risk and raw reality behind commercial fishing, emphasizing courage, confidence born from survival, and the deep connection to the ocean despite its mercurial nature.

ADVICE

Trust Your True Identity

  • To find your path, deeply examine who you are and let the universe respond.
  • Trust your identity as it will attract the right career and opportunities.
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