Outen attended Stamford High School before reading Biology at St Hugh's College, Oxford where she started rowing in 2004.

[1] After an eleven-day failed attempt which she dubbed her 'Warm Up Lap',[2] Outen set out again from Fremantle, Western Australia, on 1 April 2009 in her 19ft boat called Serendipity.

She rowed for 124 days, 14 hours and 9 minutes before arriving at Bois des Amourettes, on the island of Mauritius, on 3 August 2009.

After several months spent recovering, she restarted her journey in Japan aboard a new seven-metre vessel named Happy Socks.

[11] She was originally bound for Canada, but punishing currents and inclement weather forced her to change destinations for Alaska.

[12] In May 2014 she returned to Adak and kayaked 2500 km along the Aleutian island chain and Alaskan Peninsula with Justine Curgenven, to the nearest road in Homer.

[13] There is no documentation of anyone else completing this journey in modern times, which involved many long crossings in uncharted waters with strong currents of unknown strength and direction.

Outen was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to rowing, conservation and charity.