Upstream: High Fantasy

Navigating upstream was tricky. It took catching the winds in a bag and knowing when to let them go. It took knowing which fish to release and which to cook. It took knowing when to plug your ears and when to heed the sounds around you. It took the ability to hold your breath for a year and a day, the honesty to refuse all temptation, and the courage to face the monsters of your deepest, darkest nightmares. But if you could do all these things, there was your fortune to be made, and more than your fortune. The sailors who had succeeded in going upstream were recognizable wherever they went, not for the gold in their pockets--though it was always there--but for the look in their eyes.

Inspiration: 'navigating'
Story Potential: High?
Notes: Pretty standard girl/young kid/minority/lower-class fight against the odds to do something never done before by somebody of their type. Yet, I find the idea intriguing.