The thought of leaving a legacy behind may have crossed your mind at one point or another. After all, many people would like to be remembered for something great they accomplished in their lifetime. Amelia Earhart, for example, left her legacy as the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1937. Motivational keynote speaker Amelia Rose Earhart is an around-the-world pilot who completed the journey her namesake was unable to finish. She has also been successful in leaving her own legacy along the way.

In a new interview with Boise Weekly, a newspaper based in Idaho, Amelia discusses legacies, her journey toward becoming a pilot and her what it was like growing up with the name Amelia Earhart.

Amelia’s name yielded many expectations for her.

From a very young age, Amelia knew her name was special. Her father was even hesitant to name her after Amelia Earhart because of the heaps of expectations it could place on her growing up, she said. Sure enough, Amelia was constantly approached with questions about becoming a pilot. She eventually became tired of the questions and took her first flight lesson.

Amelia’s journey toward becoming a pilot wasn’t always smooth skies.

Like a pilot faces turbulence during their trip from Point A to Point B, Amelia also faced some turbulence on her way to becoming a pilot. Amelia recalls the instructor from her first ever flight lesson, who wasn’t exactly thrilled to be working with a woman in the cockpit. On other occasions, Amelia says, airport officials and other personnel did not take her seriously nor did they believe she was a pilot.

Another form of metaphorical turbulence Amelia has faced occurred right after she found out she was not related to Amelia Earhart as she had long believed. This revelation brought many hurtful messages to Amelia via social media. Amelia, however, has learned to love the turbulence and not let the obstacles throw her off course, which is one message she focuses on in her keynotes.

Eventually, she stopped chasing Amelia Earhart’s path.

Although Amelia Earhart had a major influence in many aspects of the pilot’s life, she eventually decided to pave her own way while continuing to honor her namesake: “At that point in the journey, I stopped chasing Amelia’s path. I felt like saying, ‘Come on Amelia. We’re taking you back home. Let’s finish the flight you started 77 years ago,” she said in the interview.

At this point, Amelia no longer felt the need to do things just because she was named after the famous pilot. She began chasing her own path, accomplishing many milestones, and leaving behind her own legacy as well.

Click here to read Amelia’s full interview with Boise Weekly.

Book an Inspirational Keynote Speaker

After flying around the world and completing the journey that her namesake was unable to finish, Amelia Rose Earhart knows what it takes to brave the bumpy skies and overcome all sorts of turbulence. Her message of determination and perseverance resonates well with various audience types and motivates attendees to set goals and follow through. If you’re interested in booking Amelia to speak at your next event, please call 1.800.345.5607 for fees and availability.