A proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Angela Madsen, shared a loving relationship with her wife, Debra Madsen.
Debra Madsen worked as a social worker, helping children in challenging family situations. She focused on protecting children and ensuring they had the support they needed.
While working on this project, she crossed paths with Angela Madsen, who was passionate about helping people with disabilities.
Angela, who used a wheelchair after a spinal injury in 1993, had started the California Adaptive Rowing Program in Long Beach. She wanted to give people with disabilities a chance to try rowing and feel empowered through sports.
It was during this time that Angela and Debra met in 2006 in Long Beach, California.
At the time, Debra was helping care for a young boy in a wheelchair. She wanted to find someone who could inspire him, so she reached out to Angela, who was well-known for her work and her achievements as a Paralympic athlete and ocean rower.
Angela, who already competed in the 2008 Paralympics and was training for more, agreed to meet the boy and introduced him to rowing, showing him that disability didn’t have to limit what he could do.
Debra watched as Angela connected with the boy in a meaningful way, giving him confidence and encouragement. That moment made a strong impression on Debra.
From there, a bond began to grow between them, and the rest is history.
By the time they met, Angela had already faced many challenges, including a spinal injury that left her paraplegic in 1993 and the end of an earlier marriage.
Angela had a daughter, Jennifer, from her earlier life before her injury and before meeting Debra. Jennifer was born in 1977 when Angela was 17, and Angela raised her as a single parent after joining the Marines.
Likewise, their wedding details aren’t widely shared; it’s known that they were married before Angela’s final rowing journey in 2020.
Angela Madsen’s Wife, Debra, Confirmed Her Passing!
In June 2020, Angela set out on what would be her final journey: a solo, unassisted row across the Pacific Ocean from Los Angeles to Honolulu. In fact, it was her most ambitious challenge yet.
During her last rowing journey on June 22, 2020, after 60 days at sea, Angela Madsen tragically passed away while attempting to row solo from Los Angeles to Honolulu, a 2,500-mile journey.
She was found tethered to her boat, Row of Life, having died doing what she loved most.
Angela aimed to be the first paraplegic, first openly gay athlete, and oldest woman to complete the feat. However, her life was cut short in the tragic event.
It was Debra who confirmed Angela’s passing in a heartfelt Facebook post on June 23, 2020, on the official Row of Life page.
She wrote, “With extreme sadness I must announce that Angela Madsen will not complete her solo row to Hawaii.” Debra’s post was shared with filmmaker Soraya Simi, who was documenting Angela’s journey.
Debra explained that she last heard from Angela via text on Saturday, June 20, 2020, when Angela said she was going into the water to fix a problem with her boat’s parachute anchor, needed to stabilize it in rough seas.
On Sunday, June 21, Angela stopped responding to messages, and Debra noticed that the boat’s tracking data showed it was drifting, not being rowed. Worried, Debra contacted Soraya Simi, who alerted the U.S. Coast Guard.
A search began, involving a Coast Guard C-17 plane and a German cargo ship, Polynesia, rerouted to Angela’s location.
The plane spotted Angela’s body in the water, tethered to her boat, Row of Life, but poor satellite coverage delayed communication.
The Polynesia recovered Angela’s body late Monday night, June 22. Debra shared that Angela might have been caught in her tether, suffered hypothermia, or had a medical issue like a heart attack, but the exact cause remained unclear without the boat, which was still adrift.
Debra expressed her grief, saying,
Angela is now en route to Tahiti without me, which was not our agreement.
She vowed to recover the boat to complete Angela’s journey. She thanked supporters and asked for patience as she navigated her loss.
With sorrow and pride at the same time, Debra wrote in her post:
Angela was living her dream. She loved being on the water… I never planned a life without her, so be patient with me while I figure all this out.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Angela Madsen’s documentary, “Row of Life,” premiered on February 9, 2025.
- The late Paralympian, Angela Madsen, was a United States Marine.
