Seattle woman competing for Space Needle trip to space

Most of us have dreamed about going into space, but the chances of us ever getting there are close to zero. But a Seattle woman has a space flight within her reach, and all she has to do is out compete four other people in three days worth of challenges that start Monday.

Lauren Furgason, 25, is competing to win the Space Needle’s 50th Anniversary Space Race competition. An hour-long trip 100 miles up is the prize.

Furgason has been running around Lake Union, doing a boot camp and even a combination of pilates and ballet to get ready for this final test. The problem is, she has no idea what the final challenges are going to be.

“We will be picked up in our hotel by a van and taken to wherever the location is, and I was told to bring athletic pants and a hair tie,” she said. “That’s about all I know.”

The tests are supposed to include physical challenges and a battle of wits, but Furgason and the other competitors have no idea what’s in front of them.

“I’m going into it with a positive attitude, and it’s going to be something I’m going to have fun with and give it my best shot,” she said. “If my best isn’t good enough to help me win, then it’s not meant to be.”

Furgason ran away from home when she was three so she could get to the Moon, but she said her real passion is traveling the world and experiencing all it has to offer. A chance to see it from above would be amazing.

Furgason beat the odds just to get to this stage of the competition. Her entry was picked at random from more than 50,000, and
her video on why she should win had to get enough votes from the public to make the finals.

“I want to make sure I represent my city well,” she said. “I have Seattle blood in me, and that’s something
that no one else had so hopefully that can help me win.”

The winner of the competition will be announced Wednesday.

You can follow Lauren’s progress on twitter @LaunchLauren