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*
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It is miserable out here.
Absolutely miserable.
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You're sweating so much
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your two-hour shift
feels like four.
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Um, so,
I'm just being down so.
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It's kind of quiet
on the boat today.
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Everyone is just
kind of in their own heads
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trying to get through
their shifts.
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Why would anyone
want to row across an ocean?
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Or climb Mount Everest,
for that matter?
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Or run across a desert?
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What type of person does this?
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*
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The effort chews you up
and spits you out
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until you're essentially
unrecognizable to yourself.
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You sacrifice time
with your family.
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It punishes you.
It humbles you.
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It breaks you.
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So why would anybody do it then?
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For myself
and for my teammates,
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it was because
we were chasing something...
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and we didn't know
what it was
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until it was all over.
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Everyone has something
they dream of achieving.
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If you had asked me
at seven-years old
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what my dream was,
it was to be a baseball player.
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Just like any other
seven-year-old's dream
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of being an astronaut,
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a ballerina, musician,
teacher, a doctor.
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But all of us
are really saying, though,
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is that we want
to be the best at something.
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The older you get,
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the harder it is
to pursue those dreams.
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But they're still there.
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So, the question is,
why do we give up
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on our dreams?
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This is my story,
but it can be anyone's story.
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It's about what happens
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when you're faced
with failure
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and what kind
of person that makes you.
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The Talisker Whisky
Atlantic Challenge.
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World's toughest rowing race.
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A 3,000-mile rowing race
across the Atlantic Ocean.
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The race attracts
up to 30 teams
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from all over the world.
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Teams of four,
pairs and solos.
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It's a challenge that pits you
against the elements 24/7.
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It's unassisted.
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You have to take
all your own food
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for up to 90 days
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and use a desalinator
for making drinking water.
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And there's no stopping.
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Over one and a half million
strokes.
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All day and all night.
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Until you set foot on land.
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When I first heard about it,
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I thought,
"This seems impossible."
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I mean, I'm a rower,
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but rowing 3,000 miles
across an ocean
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seems just removed
from reality.
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You've got moms
that are crossing this.
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You've got people that
have gone through war
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and then are missing limbs
and that are doing this.
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You see recovering drug addicts.
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People that had gone through
failed marriages,
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people that have a void
to fill.
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And I don't think
I was any different than that.
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I think
The Talisker Atlantic Race
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is unlike anything
he'd ever heard of.
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I know when he first
brought it to my attention
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that he had found this race,
he was astounded.
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He couldn't believe that
people could actually do this.
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So, he almost became a bit
obsessed with researching it
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and finding out
how do people do this
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and the intricacies of it.
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The more that he researched it,
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the more he kind of fell
in love with the idea of,
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"I could do this."
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And I think
the idea of doing something
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that seemed impossible
was very romantic to him.
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I had no idea
really what was in store.
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When somebody says,
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"I'm going to row across
the Atlantic Ocean,"
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you know,
I just didn't understand it.
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Trust me, I had people that
said, "You got to be kidding me.
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What is he doing?"
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There're two types of
people entering this race.
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The first type of person
or team was
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a team just trying
to represent their country
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or their charity
and just complete the race.
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Just try to literally
get to the finish line.
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And the others
were trying to win the race
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or potentially
break a world record.
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I knew that I was going to be
in the latter.
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There's no way
that I was going to dedicate
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18 months of my life
and do this
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and work as hard as that
to simply just finish.
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I wanted to win.
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And potentially
even break a world record.
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And I allow myself to once again
dream like a seven-year-old.
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Jason's dad and I separated,
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divorced when he was--
Jason was five-years old.
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One week on with dad,
one week on with mom.
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Going to my dad's
certainly, it wasn't--
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it wasn't that it wasn't
loving, but it was intense.
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There was an intensity to it.
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I remember having
to almost pump myself up
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knowing that after school,
like,
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that week was going to be
a tougher week,
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more filled
with structure and discipline.
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You can do it.
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Strike!
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Good job, Jason.
Good job, buddy.
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Baseball was a
soundtrack of my childhood.
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It seemed like everything
that my dad and I did
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revolved around baseball
to some extent or another.
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I thought I loved baseball,
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but I-- I loved my dad
and he loved baseball.
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He was passionate
about the sport.
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He loved the sport.
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139
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Oh.
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Well, when Jason
decided he wanted to be
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a-- a Major League Baseball
player
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at ten years old,
I took that
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just like you should
take it from a ten-year-old.
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And that's that,
"Okay, let's see what
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we can do to--
to get you on that path."
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I come into the backyard
and there's this structure.
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And maybe for a second
I thought,
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'Oh, my dad made a fort
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or some kind of a play structure
for me.'
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But it wasn't.
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It was-- it was
a means to getting better.
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Growing up, I played baseball
as far as I could go,
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and I understood
the art of hitting.
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I sent him up a net and a tee
and I said,
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"This is what you need
to be doing on your off time.
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Hit that bucket of balls.
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Don't hit 30,
don't hit 60, hit all 62,
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and then fill it back up."
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So, when my friends
were out playing,
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out on their bikes,
having a good time,
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I was in the backyard
hitting balls off that tee.
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And he didn't force me
to do it.
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But if you didn't then
you weren't doing what it took.
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"You told me you wanted to be
a professional baseball player.
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Here's the bucket.
You're not hitting them.
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I don't believe you."
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168
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When I went up to Sonoma,
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pitching was my best bet.
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I'm left-handed.
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I can throw hard,
I'm tall, I'm strong.
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Sonoma State
was very good.
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They had asked him to go
and play in the summer
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for the semi-pro team,
San Francisco Angels.
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*
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At that moment,
that was my best shot.
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There were times
where I know
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he-- he worked really hard
and-- and didn't do well.
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He wasn't considered
at the top.
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I, at the time, was--
was a little bit concerned
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that what if he doesn't make it?
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And would that be
such a terrible letdown
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to him
or even his dad?
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And so there was
a part of me that were saying,
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"I didn't want the sport
to define the person he was."
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But on the 24th of
July, 2004, everything changed.
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In the third inning, one pitch,
you just hear this pop.
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Oh.
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People in the dugout
could hear it.
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And all of a sudden,
I just--
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I can't--
I can't throw.
193
00:10:15,649 --> 00:10:17,184
194
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He had done some
damage to his-- his elbow.
195
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The tendon is
completely ripped in half.
196
00:10:23,490 --> 00:10:26,660
And that--
that was a tough crossroad.
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198
00:10:28,095 --> 00:10:30,030
I remember being
at the doctor's office
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00:10:30,130 --> 00:10:32,733
and us asking the questions,
200
00:10:32,833 --> 00:10:36,103
"What happens
if I do have the surgery?
201
00:10:36,203 --> 00:10:37,705
How long is the rehab?"
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00:10:37,805 --> 00:10:39,306
Which would have been
about a year.
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00:10:39,406 --> 00:10:43,811
Versus if you don't have
the surgery, you'll be fine.
204
00:10:43,911 --> 00:10:45,578
It just you won't be
able to throw the ball
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00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:47,247
90 miles an hour
like you are now.
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They're throwing this
information like it's nothing,
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00:10:50,851 --> 00:10:53,386
but it's a lot to me,
and it's-- I'm overwhelmed.
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00:10:54,521 --> 00:10:56,189
Being in a brace
for six months,
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00:10:56,289 --> 00:10:59,392
my senior year of college,
that didn't sit right with me.
210
00:11:00,493 --> 00:11:01,862
I'm thinking about all night.
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00:11:01,962 --> 00:11:03,731
I was dreading
making that call to my dad.
212
00:11:03,831 --> 00:11:05,032
I called him.
I said,
213
00:11:05,132 --> 00:11:06,633
"I am not
going to get the surgery."
214
00:11:07,234 --> 00:11:08,702
And his response was,
215
00:11:08,802 --> 00:11:10,603
"I don't think you're making
the right decision
216
00:11:11,271 --> 00:11:13,006
and I think you need
to think about it again."
217
00:11:14,207 --> 00:11:15,909
And I said, "Oh, okay.
218
00:11:16,009 --> 00:11:17,377
I mean, I can think
about it again,
219
00:11:17,477 --> 00:11:18,645
but this is my decision."
220
00:11:18,746 --> 00:11:19,747
He said,
"You should think about it.
221
00:11:19,847 --> 00:11:21,114
Call me back in an hour."
222
00:11:21,214 --> 00:11:22,649
And then he did call me
and he said,
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00:11:22,750 --> 00:11:24,584
"Dad, I'm-- I'm not
going to have the surgery.
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00:11:24,684 --> 00:11:25,819
I-- I think I'm done."
225
00:11:29,389 --> 00:11:31,291
Like, this was
my dad's dream and not mine.
226
00:11:31,391 --> 00:11:36,897
And that made him so pissed
that we didn't talk for months.
227
00:11:38,431 --> 00:11:40,467
But once Jason
made that decision,
228
00:11:40,567 --> 00:11:42,435
there was a sense of relief.
229
00:11:43,636 --> 00:11:45,739
I didn't know
what I was going to do next,
230
00:11:47,074 --> 00:11:49,642
but I was okay with it
not being baseball.
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00:11:52,312 --> 00:11:54,147
School starts again.
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00:11:54,247 --> 00:11:55,949
I'm drifting at this point.
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00:11:56,049 --> 00:11:57,417
I'm at the gym working out,
234
00:11:57,517 --> 00:11:59,019
but I don't know what
I'm working out for.
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00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:03,456
The worst thing in the world
for me as an athlete,
236
00:12:03,556 --> 00:12:07,460
it's not having anything to
compete for it, to be a part of.
237
00:12:07,560 --> 00:12:10,330
And this guy comes up to me.
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00:12:10,430 --> 00:12:13,166
[Mark] As a coach,
you're always on the lookout
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for the next great athlete.
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00:12:15,335 --> 00:12:17,670
Jason, specifically,
I could tell
241
00:12:17,771 --> 00:12:19,973
he had really strong focus
from the beginning.
242
00:12:20,073 --> 00:12:21,508
He says,
"You know, I'm the rowing coach
243
00:12:21,608 --> 00:12:22,943
here at Sonoma
244
00:12:23,043 --> 00:12:24,845
and I think you'd be pretty good
at rowing."
245
00:12:25,345 --> 00:12:27,380
He kind of plucked him
out of a dark spot.
246
00:12:29,016 --> 00:12:30,650
So, the Sonoma State Rowing Program
247
00:12:30,750 --> 00:12:34,287
was the newest program
in the country at that point.
248
00:12:34,387 --> 00:12:36,023
It was a complete shit show.
249
00:12:36,123 --> 00:12:38,859
So, first of all I show up
and it's not a boathouse.
250
00:12:38,959 --> 00:12:42,429
It was a boat yard full of
gravel and shipping containers.
251
00:12:43,163 --> 00:12:45,565
I've been used
to intense try outs
252
00:12:45,665 --> 00:12:47,700
where everybody
goes there is good
253
00:12:47,801 --> 00:12:49,269
and they're eyeing
the competition.
254
00:12:50,103 --> 00:12:52,072
I was too good for these people.
That's what I thought.
255
00:12:52,172 --> 00:12:53,406
Too good for this.
256
00:12:54,274 --> 00:12:57,110
While I think sports
like baseball
257
00:12:57,210 --> 00:12:59,512
can be phenomenal team sports,
258
00:12:59,612 --> 00:13:01,815
they don't have
that deep connection
259
00:13:01,915 --> 00:13:03,483
as an individual player.
260
00:13:04,117 --> 00:13:05,986
In rowing,
you're all doing the same thing.
261
00:13:06,086 --> 00:13:07,654
And if you're not together,
262
00:13:07,754 --> 00:13:09,656
you're lost
before you've even begun.
263
00:13:11,758 --> 00:13:15,528
Jason is a very big,
intimidating person,
264
00:13:15,628 --> 00:13:17,130
and he really wanted to win
265
00:13:17,230 --> 00:13:19,466
and he wanted everybody
to work as hard as him.
266
00:13:20,433 --> 00:13:22,569
He definitely rubs
a certain type of person
267
00:13:22,669 --> 00:13:25,105
the wrong way.
And there was a--
268
00:13:25,205 --> 00:13:26,840
Somebody on our team
that told him,
269
00:13:27,507 --> 00:13:29,642
"People are only pulling
because they're scared of you."
270
00:13:31,211 --> 00:13:32,345
Yeah, I was a hothead.
271
00:13:32,846 --> 00:13:34,781
And I thought that that showed
a level of passion.
272
00:13:34,882 --> 00:13:37,184
But that's--
that's immaturity there.
273
00:13:38,651 --> 00:13:41,621
I was shocked by
how little I knew what it meant
274
00:13:41,721 --> 00:13:43,991
to be part of a team
until I got into rowing.
275
00:13:44,424 --> 00:13:47,294
Rowing is so interdependent.
276
00:13:47,394 --> 00:13:49,362
If you take
one person out of the boat,
277
00:13:49,462 --> 00:13:51,098
the thing completely crumbles.
278
00:13:51,198 --> 00:13:54,267
There is no
rugged individualism.
279
00:13:55,202 --> 00:13:58,538
And I started to fall in
love with that team aspect.
280
00:13:59,072 --> 00:14:01,374
Mike sat eight seat,
the stroke seat, I sat seven.
281
00:14:01,474 --> 00:14:03,210
I can tell you
every single T-shirt he owns
282
00:14:03,310 --> 00:14:05,645
as I stare
at the back of him.
283
00:14:05,745 --> 00:14:07,647
I see after
we were doing the piece,
284
00:14:07,747 --> 00:14:09,449
how he would almost
collapse upon himself
285
00:14:09,549 --> 00:14:11,151
because he had given everything.
286
00:14:11,251 --> 00:14:13,686
And I loved that about him.
287
00:14:13,786 --> 00:14:17,257
And I was scared to death
of not doing the same thing.
288
00:14:18,358 --> 00:14:20,593
You're more afraid
of letting them down
289
00:14:20,693 --> 00:14:22,295
than you were of the pain
290
00:14:22,395 --> 00:14:24,097
that you were going to go
through at that practice.
291
00:14:24,197 --> 00:14:27,034
And that is
a strong human emotion.
292
00:14:29,369 --> 00:14:30,703
And Jason
is one of those people
293
00:14:30,803 --> 00:14:32,672
who won't let anybody down.
294
00:14:32,772 --> 00:14:36,376
That nature in him
really made him perfect
295
00:14:36,476 --> 00:14:37,644
for the sport of rowing.
296
00:14:39,246 --> 00:14:42,916
I realized, no, I did not love
baseball because this is love.
297
00:14:44,717 --> 00:14:46,987
One of the things
that was so apparent
298
00:14:47,087 --> 00:14:50,958
about the sport of rowing
was that it was mine.
299
00:14:53,193 --> 00:14:56,029
*
300
00:14:59,432 --> 00:15:01,034
When Jason called me.
301
00:15:01,134 --> 00:15:03,270
He told me that he was trying
to put a team together
302
00:15:03,370 --> 00:15:06,406
and I'd already semi-committed
to another team.
303
00:15:07,574 --> 00:15:10,343
And I knew that Jason
had the right mind frame
304
00:15:10,443 --> 00:15:13,346
to get a record or win the race,
305
00:15:14,247 --> 00:15:16,383
and I wanted
to be part of that.
306
00:15:17,284 --> 00:15:19,386
Angus was my first pick.
307
00:15:19,486 --> 00:15:23,623
He won the race last year,
set the course record,
308
00:15:23,723 --> 00:15:25,725
and he was the skipper
of that team.
309
00:15:25,825 --> 00:15:27,194
Ladies and gentlemen,
310
00:15:27,294 --> 00:15:29,729
37 days,
nine hours and 12 minutes.
311
00:15:29,829 --> 00:15:31,264
New race record.
312
00:15:31,364 --> 00:15:33,633
313
00:15:34,134 --> 00:15:36,269
There's a lot of reasons
to want Angus on your team.
314
00:15:36,369 --> 00:15:37,737
A lot of them.
315
00:15:38,105 --> 00:15:41,341
Angus has got over 100 days
of ocean rowing experience.
316
00:15:41,441 --> 00:15:44,311
He's rode the Indian Ocean
as well as the Atlantic.
317
00:15:45,312 --> 00:15:48,248
He's one of the most experienced
ocean rowers alive today.
318
00:15:48,348 --> 00:15:49,882
He builds boats for a living.
319
00:15:50,583 --> 00:15:53,953
Angus is part of a family legacy
of ocean rowers.
320
00:15:54,054 --> 00:15:56,889
His uncle had actually
broken the world record
321
00:15:56,990 --> 00:16:00,427
as the fastest solo rower to
row across the Atlantic Ocean.
322
00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,896
His sister has also rowed
across the Atlantic Ocean
323
00:16:03,997 --> 00:16:06,066
with her team breaking
the world record
324
00:16:06,166 --> 00:16:08,168
as the fastest all-women's crew
325
00:16:08,268 --> 00:16:10,203
to ever row
across the Atlantic Ocean.
326
00:16:10,837 --> 00:16:13,440
327
00:16:14,607 --> 00:16:16,143
I've known
Jason for two years.
328
00:16:16,243 --> 00:16:18,045
And sometimes,
you know if someone
329
00:16:18,145 --> 00:16:20,347
is someone you want
to be on a boat with.
330
00:16:20,447 --> 00:16:23,750
He's looking at me
for the technical side
331
00:16:23,850 --> 00:16:25,752
that I've been doing
for quite a few years,
332
00:16:25,852 --> 00:16:27,354
which the weather reading,
333
00:16:27,454 --> 00:16:29,089
and how to make
the boat move fast
334
00:16:29,189 --> 00:16:31,424
through certain wave conditions
and with certain winds.
335
00:16:33,893 --> 00:16:36,429
Last year we were
on track for the record...
336
00:16:37,430 --> 00:16:40,433
and we had a storm that
turned into Hurricane Alex.
337
00:16:41,868 --> 00:16:43,503
We then had to para-anchor
for three days
338
00:16:43,603 --> 00:16:46,873
and we saw the record just
being ripped away from us.
339
00:16:48,241 --> 00:16:50,710
The weather stole
three days away from me.
340
00:16:50,810 --> 00:16:54,181
We missed the world record
by only 32 hours.
341
00:16:55,415 --> 00:16:58,185
We'd landed in Antigua
and we celebrated.
342
00:16:58,951 --> 00:17:02,189
And I already knew that
I wanted to go and do it again.
343
00:17:03,290 --> 00:17:05,392
I just keep getting called back
to go and row it again
344
00:17:05,492 --> 00:17:06,859
and wait for
that perfect crossing.
345
00:17:07,827 --> 00:17:11,264
346
00:17:14,934 --> 00:17:16,269
After Angus and I
had decided
347
00:17:16,369 --> 00:17:17,604
that we were going to row
together,
348
00:17:17,704 --> 00:17:20,173
the next sentence
that he gave me was,
349
00:17:20,273 --> 00:17:23,243
"If I was putting
this team together,
350
00:17:23,343 --> 00:17:25,745
I would bring this guy
on the boat, Alex Simpson."
351
00:17:25,845 --> 00:17:27,247
I said, "Okay, who is he?"
352
00:17:27,347 --> 00:17:29,282
He says, "This is a guy I rode
in the Indian Ocean with."
353
00:17:29,916 --> 00:17:31,951
And I said, "All right.
And what makes him so great?"
354
00:17:32,051 --> 00:17:34,154
He is like,
"He just shuts up and rows."
355
00:17:36,189 --> 00:17:38,024
I rode the Indian Ocean in 2013
356
00:17:38,125 --> 00:17:40,160
with Angus
and two other crew members.
357
00:17:41,027 --> 00:17:42,462
We spent 71 days at sea
358
00:17:42,562 --> 00:17:44,664
from Australia
to, originally, Mauritius.
359
00:17:45,598 --> 00:17:46,766
Didn't go to plan.
360
00:17:46,866 --> 00:17:48,435
We ended up
going to the Seychelles.
361
00:17:48,535 --> 00:17:50,503
Equipment was breaking.
We had no spare oars left.
362
00:17:51,037 --> 00:17:52,372
Our batteries were failing.
363
00:17:52,472 --> 00:17:54,407
Our water meter
was failing by the end.
364
00:17:55,074 --> 00:17:56,776
We rowed 4,300 miles.
365
00:17:58,044 --> 00:17:59,779
But I always
wanted to cross again.
366
00:18:00,213 --> 00:18:01,348
I always wanted
to do it better,
367
00:18:01,448 --> 00:18:02,615
always wanted to do it faster.
368
00:18:03,683 --> 00:18:06,753
So, I think I bring
an element of calmness.
369
00:18:06,853 --> 00:18:08,755
I'm a fairly laid-back person.
370
00:18:08,855 --> 00:18:10,557
I'm not looking
to be confrontational
371
00:18:11,191 --> 00:18:12,959
or argumentative on board.
372
00:18:13,526 --> 00:18:15,962
Having said that,
I'm rubbish at waking up.
373
00:18:16,062 --> 00:18:17,430
I've struggled
for the last six months.
374
00:18:17,530 --> 00:18:19,098
It's my girlfriend's annoyance
375
00:18:19,199 --> 00:18:21,468
that getting out of bed
and going to the gym.
376
00:18:22,034 --> 00:18:25,004
377
00:18:28,808 --> 00:18:31,578
I went through a pretty
hell of a childhood.
378
00:18:31,678 --> 00:18:35,648
So, I was--
I was a really pissed-off kid,
379
00:18:35,748 --> 00:18:37,150
even as an 18-year-old.
380
00:18:37,784 --> 00:18:40,052
It's probably the reason why
I could pull so damn hard.
381
00:18:40,153 --> 00:18:42,789
I just took all that
aggression out physically
382
00:18:42,889 --> 00:18:44,157
on a rowing machine.
383
00:18:45,091 --> 00:18:47,660
I viewed teammates
as obstacles
384
00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:49,629
that you had to go out
and crush.
385
00:18:49,729 --> 00:18:51,731
And I just wanted to
go to all these guys
386
00:18:51,831 --> 00:18:55,535
that I thought had these, like,
you know, privileged childhoods
387
00:18:55,635 --> 00:18:57,204
and I was
going to show them
388
00:18:57,304 --> 00:18:59,472
that I was going to take
their seat in the boat.
389
00:19:00,707 --> 00:19:02,542
I found out really quickly,
390
00:19:02,642 --> 00:19:04,444
well, first of all,
that I love the sport.
391
00:19:05,312 --> 00:19:08,781
And, second, that I wanted
to take it to the highest level.
392
00:19:09,382 --> 00:19:11,351
At that point,
I started considering
393
00:19:11,451 --> 00:19:12,885
that at the end of the day,
394
00:19:12,985 --> 00:19:14,787
you're in a boat
with a couple of other guys.
395
00:19:14,887 --> 00:19:17,257
It's not just you in that boat.
396
00:19:17,357 --> 00:19:19,259
And you're going to cross
the line at the same time.
397
00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:20,993
So, if everyone hates
each other,
398
00:19:21,093 --> 00:19:23,162
the boat is probably
not going to go that fast.
399
00:19:23,263 --> 00:19:26,566
I ended up
making the varsity eight,
400
00:19:26,666 --> 00:19:30,937
the top boat at Yale,
and I rode at Oxford.
401
00:19:31,037 --> 00:19:32,672
I ended up winning
402
00:19:32,772 --> 00:19:35,842
the United States National
Championship in the single.
403
00:19:35,942 --> 00:19:38,010
I've broken maybe six
or seven American records
404
00:19:38,110 --> 00:19:39,312
on the rowing machine.
405
00:19:39,412 --> 00:19:42,482
I went to the Olympic trials
in 2016.
406
00:19:42,582 --> 00:19:45,218
That had been
my dream for 15 years.
407
00:19:46,353 --> 00:19:49,789
And, um, I didn't qualify.
408
00:19:52,124 --> 00:19:56,696
And I spoke to Jason about
a month after that, and he said,
409
00:19:56,796 --> 00:19:58,765
"Hey, I've got something
you might be interested in.
410
00:20:00,066 --> 00:20:02,969
You ever thought about rowing
across the Atlantic?"
411
00:20:03,069 --> 00:20:05,071
He didn't even have to finish
the sentence.
412
00:20:05,171 --> 00:20:06,273
And I was like, "That's it."
413
00:20:09,809 --> 00:20:11,711
So, I've got
a little baby daughter.
414
00:20:11,811 --> 00:20:14,814
We named her Olympia Faith
because we want her to go on
415
00:20:14,914 --> 00:20:17,550
and do amazing things,
Olympic-sized things.
416
00:20:18,285 --> 00:20:19,486
Me doing this race,
417
00:20:19,586 --> 00:20:20,953
I just want to show her
418
00:20:21,053 --> 00:20:23,623
that she can do anything
that she wants to do
419
00:20:23,723 --> 00:20:25,592
and she can be a strong,
powerful woman
420
00:20:25,692 --> 00:20:27,727
and-- and she can look at me
as an example.
421
00:20:29,962 --> 00:20:31,698
Matt and I have a history,
422
00:20:31,798 --> 00:20:34,301
and we rode together on the
East Coast at Vesper Boat Club.
423
00:20:40,273 --> 00:20:41,708
424
00:20:41,808 --> 00:20:43,042
Vesper Boat Club is
425
00:20:43,142 --> 00:20:45,211
the best club
in the United States.
426
00:20:45,312 --> 00:20:46,779
They have more
Olympic gold medals
427
00:20:46,879 --> 00:20:48,981
than any other club
in the United States.
428
00:20:49,649 --> 00:20:53,586
The history, the atmosphere
just breeds success.
429
00:20:54,253 --> 00:20:56,989
If you select a group,
you're not just looking
430
00:20:57,089 --> 00:20:59,326
at, you know,
the best athletes.
431
00:20:59,992 --> 00:21:01,761
You're also
looking at character.
432
00:21:02,762 --> 00:21:04,731
And, uh,
what struck me with Jason
433
00:21:04,831 --> 00:21:07,300
was his dedication to the sport.
434
00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,170
Michiel doesn't ask
about how well I row,
435
00:21:11,270 --> 00:21:14,040
but he asks about
my background in baseball.
436
00:21:14,974 --> 00:21:18,511
He asked what position I played,
how long I'd been playing for,
437
00:21:18,611 --> 00:21:20,246
how hard I could throw,
all these different things.
438
00:21:20,347 --> 00:21:21,981
And Mark doesn't even know
the answers to all this stuff.
439
00:21:22,081 --> 00:21:24,384
I mean, he's my rowing coach
and not my baseball coach.
440
00:21:24,484 --> 00:21:28,054
Knowing his baseball background,
the details,
441
00:21:28,154 --> 00:21:30,390
the coordination for pitching
442
00:21:30,490 --> 00:21:33,826
that made me decide,
let's give this guy a chance.
443
00:21:33,926 --> 00:21:39,499
Michiel offers me
a tentative spot on the team.
444
00:21:39,599 --> 00:21:41,033
And I knock on that door,
445
00:21:41,133 --> 00:21:43,503
and the first guy
to open up the door...
446
00:21:44,170 --> 00:21:45,338
guy is 6'7".
447
00:21:45,905 --> 00:21:48,541
And I'm thinking,
'I'm out of my league.'
448
00:21:50,242 --> 00:21:55,482
I am the least experienced
by far, by years,
449
00:21:56,115 --> 00:21:59,185
the shortest, the lightest,
450
00:21:59,285 --> 00:22:00,920
and come from
the shittiest school."
451
00:22:01,888 --> 00:22:03,890
For Jason to go from,
you know,
452
00:22:03,990 --> 00:22:08,428
our little boat club here
in-- in Sonoma to Vesper
453
00:22:08,528 --> 00:22:10,830
and not only to be successful
there during the summer,
454
00:22:10,930 --> 00:22:13,466
but to be invited back
just is--
455
00:22:13,566 --> 00:22:14,667
Speaks to who Jason is.
456
00:22:15,368 --> 00:22:18,771
So, for the next three years,
I rowed Vesper.
457
00:22:18,871 --> 00:22:20,039
I live in the boathouse.
458
00:22:20,573 --> 00:22:23,042
I've got
this prison-like lifestyle,
459
00:22:23,142 --> 00:22:26,813
practicing twice a day with a
weight session in between.
460
00:22:26,913 --> 00:22:31,150
And my greatest
contribution to this team
461
00:22:31,250 --> 00:22:33,219
could be the guy
that you could rely on.
462
00:22:33,319 --> 00:22:35,054
The guy that would
pick you up from the bar
463
00:22:35,154 --> 00:22:36,823
if you were drinking that night
and shouldn't have been out
464
00:22:36,923 --> 00:22:38,391
in the first place.
465
00:22:38,491 --> 00:22:40,126
The guy that would do extra reps
with you in the weight room
466
00:22:40,226 --> 00:22:41,794
if you needed it,
go out in a boat,
467
00:22:41,894 --> 00:22:43,663
take some extra strokes
if that's what you needed.
468
00:22:43,763 --> 00:22:46,499
I was that guy and it worked.
469
00:22:46,599 --> 00:22:48,568
I go from
the worst rower there
470
00:22:48,668 --> 00:22:50,503
that probably has
no business being there,
471
00:22:50,603 --> 00:22:52,705
to barely making
the second boat...
472
00:22:53,873 --> 00:22:56,909
to being one of the fastest
rowers in the second boat,
473
00:22:57,009 --> 00:22:58,745
to being in
the first boat.
474
00:23:00,146 --> 00:23:02,148
And you could just feel
the legacy
475
00:23:02,248 --> 00:23:04,684
that we had all created together
over the last two years.
476
00:23:06,519 --> 00:23:09,989
To Jason's credit,
working so diligently,
477
00:23:10,089 --> 00:23:13,125
you know, here at Vesper to work
his way into the first boat,
478
00:23:13,225 --> 00:23:17,764
to make such an impact
on such a short time,
479
00:23:18,531 --> 00:23:20,366
quite exceptional.
480
00:23:20,467 --> 00:23:23,069
But he started maybe then
481
00:23:23,169 --> 00:23:25,705
a little bit too late
to make it to the national team.
482
00:23:27,674 --> 00:23:30,142
The goal then, end goal
was to make it to the Olympics.
483
00:23:30,242 --> 00:23:32,779
Some of us did, um,
and some of us didn't.
484
00:23:32,879 --> 00:23:35,114
And I was one that I wasn't
able to quite make it.
485
00:23:35,214 --> 00:23:37,784
*
486
00:23:37,884 --> 00:23:39,819
At the end of three years,
I had a decision to make.
487
00:23:39,919 --> 00:23:43,389
Either do another four years
for the next round of Olympics
488
00:23:43,490 --> 00:23:47,894
or retire and go home
and start a career.
489
00:23:47,994 --> 00:23:49,228
And that's what I decided to do.
490
00:23:50,062 --> 00:23:53,099
[low melancholy music]
491
00:23:57,236 --> 00:23:59,539
So, all four of us
had something in common.
492
00:24:02,509 --> 00:24:04,376
We had fallen short
in some place.
493
00:24:05,645 --> 00:24:07,847
And we were desperate
to change that.
494
00:24:11,784 --> 00:24:13,953
495
00:24:14,554 --> 00:24:16,856
Training for a crossing
of this proportion
496
00:24:16,956 --> 00:24:19,726
isn't just your average
marathon-type training.
497
00:24:21,093 --> 00:24:23,630
It takes the average
team approximately two years
498
00:24:23,730 --> 00:24:26,165
to properly prepare
for this endeavor.
499
00:24:26,265 --> 00:24:27,767
Training
not just physically,
500
00:24:27,867 --> 00:24:30,302
but doing emotional
and mental training as well.
501
00:24:30,402 --> 00:24:32,204
Sleep deprivation training.
502
00:24:32,304 --> 00:24:34,206
You're going
to average four hours of sleep
503
00:24:34,306 --> 00:24:36,042
for every 24 hours.
504
00:24:36,142 --> 00:24:38,645
That's going to wear on you
by day three, let alone day 30.
505
00:24:38,745 --> 00:24:42,114
How to train with less calories.
506
00:24:42,214 --> 00:24:43,750
You're going to be
so seasick
507
00:24:43,850 --> 00:24:45,484
the first three to seven days
of this thing
508
00:24:45,585 --> 00:24:47,486
that you'll be lucky if you
get 1,000 calories in
509
00:24:47,587 --> 00:24:48,855
without puking them out.
510
00:24:48,955 --> 00:24:50,189
In which case,
you've got to learn
511
00:24:50,289 --> 00:24:51,858
to be able to still
get on those oars
512
00:24:51,958 --> 00:24:53,993
having a major calorie deficit.
513
00:24:55,427 --> 00:24:56,896
Dehydration training.
514
00:24:56,996 --> 00:24:58,831
Maybe you're only getting
three liters per person
515
00:24:58,931 --> 00:25:00,299
of water a day.
516
00:25:00,399 --> 00:25:01,668
That means you've got
to go ahead and row
517
00:25:01,768 --> 00:25:04,136
12 hours a day
on three liters of water.
518
00:25:04,236 --> 00:25:08,307
You've got to take classes,
such as how to navigate at sea,
519
00:25:08,407 --> 00:25:10,543
how to navigate at night.
520
00:25:10,643 --> 00:25:12,411
You have to train
to live on the boat.
521
00:25:12,511 --> 00:25:15,848
And sometimes the not-rowing
hours are tougher
522
00:25:15,948 --> 00:25:17,349
than the rowing hours.
523
00:25:21,754 --> 00:25:23,022
Hey, man.
524
00:25:23,122 --> 00:25:24,223
Hey, man.
How are you doing?
525
00:25:24,323 --> 00:25:25,524
You all good?
526
00:25:25,625 --> 00:25:27,326
Yeah, yep, yep, yep.
Good.
527
00:25:27,426 --> 00:25:29,361
How are you feeling about it?
Are you mentally ready?
528
00:25:29,461 --> 00:25:31,764
Yeah, I'm--
I'm definitely there.
529
00:25:31,864 --> 00:25:34,133
Like, I'm ready to go.
I'm crawling out of my skin.
530
00:25:34,233 --> 00:25:35,735
You know, I've got
the holidays coming up,
531
00:25:35,835 --> 00:25:37,169
Thanksgiving as you know.
532
00:25:37,269 --> 00:25:39,171
But I'm kind of like
checked out already,
533
00:25:39,271 --> 00:25:41,340
so... I know Amelia's getting
a little nervous.
534
00:25:42,108 --> 00:25:43,409
What about you, man?
How are you feeling?
535
00:25:43,509 --> 00:25:45,011
Yeah, good.
536
00:25:45,111 --> 00:25:46,779
Yeah, been feeling
really good and then,
537
00:25:46,879 --> 00:25:48,815
yeah, starting to feel
a little bit nervous now.
538
00:25:48,915 --> 00:25:50,883
Um, kind of all
the memories coming back
539
00:25:50,983 --> 00:25:52,985
about that first kind of,
you know,
540
00:25:53,085 --> 00:25:55,021
what we're going to have to go
through that first ten days,
541
00:25:55,121 --> 00:25:56,455
just hell.
542
00:25:56,555 --> 00:25:58,591
You have a lot more
to lose in terms of
543
00:25:58,691 --> 00:26:00,593
what you did last year
was so special.
544
00:26:00,693 --> 00:26:03,162
Yeah. There's--
545
00:26:03,262 --> 00:26:04,831
See I don't
get really good
546
00:26:04,931 --> 00:26:06,899
not just the result last time,
but also...
547
00:26:06,999 --> 00:26:09,168
by three really close mates.
548
00:26:09,268 --> 00:26:12,104
So, for them, they kind
of look at me and think,
549
00:26:12,204 --> 00:26:13,740
"Why are you doing it?
There's no reason."
550
00:26:15,041 --> 00:26:17,009
For me, yeah,
there's a lot to lose,
551
00:26:17,109 --> 00:26:19,045
but it's also
just a lot to gain.
552
00:26:19,145 --> 00:26:21,413
So, you've got to take
those risks
553
00:26:21,513 --> 00:26:24,851
and we've done everything
we can to put together
554
00:26:24,951 --> 00:26:26,352
a pretty perfect team.
555
00:26:26,452 --> 00:26:28,154
We're co-leading this,
you know, there is--
556
00:26:28,254 --> 00:26:29,521
there is no skipper
on this team.
557
00:26:29,622 --> 00:26:31,824
So, I'm looking forward to,
558
00:26:31,924 --> 00:26:34,126
you know,
just making decisions together.
559
00:26:34,226 --> 00:26:37,697
Yeah, we've got the engines
in the front, Alex and Matt.
560
00:26:37,797 --> 00:26:40,566
We can just keep feeding
them and tell them what to do.
561
Yeah.
562
00:26:42,201 --> 00:26:43,302
So, we don't have
to do any rowing.
563
00:26:43,770 --> 00:26:44,904
Just keep throwing food at them.
564
00:26:45,004 --> 00:26:46,806
565
00:26:50,509 --> 00:26:53,512
566
00:26:57,149 --> 00:27:02,088
567
00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:17,203
568
00:27:18,905 --> 00:27:20,606
569
00:27:20,707 --> 00:27:22,408
To properly
prepare for this race,
570
00:27:22,508 --> 00:27:24,143
it's going to cost you
more than it would
571
00:27:24,243 --> 00:27:27,046
if you were trying
to summit Mount Everest.
572
00:27:27,146 --> 00:27:30,282
The first big thing that you've
got to purchase is a boat.
573
00:27:30,382 --> 00:27:32,952
You need corporate
sponsorship for that.
574
00:27:33,052 --> 00:27:34,854
Once you've got the boat,
you've got to fill it
575
00:27:34,954 --> 00:27:36,388
with the things that
are going to be necessary
576
00:27:36,488 --> 00:27:37,924
to keep you alive
as you cross
577
00:27:38,024 --> 00:27:40,026
3,000 miles
of Atlantic Ocean.
578
00:27:40,126 --> 00:27:43,662
You've got a life raft, then
you've got a water desalinator.
579
00:27:43,763 --> 00:27:45,497
This thing weighs a ton.
580
00:27:45,597 --> 00:27:46,966
You've got all the food
581
00:27:47,066 --> 00:27:49,936
that's 5,000 calories
per person per day.
582
00:27:50,036 --> 00:27:51,403
The race requires you
583
00:27:51,503 --> 00:27:54,340
to pack a minimum
of 60 days worth of food.
584
00:27:55,641 --> 00:27:57,509
You've got your radios,
your SAT phones,
585
00:27:57,609 --> 00:27:59,445
your navigation,
your chart plotters,
586
00:27:59,545 --> 00:28:02,014
tools for fixing
all of these things.
587
00:28:02,114 --> 00:28:03,649
If it can't be fixed,
588
00:28:03,750 --> 00:28:05,551
you're going to have to learn
to live without it,
589
00:28:05,651 --> 00:28:07,186
which means you've got to bring
other things, like a hand pump
590
00:28:07,286 --> 00:28:09,255
so, if your water
maker breaks on you,
591
00:28:09,355 --> 00:28:10,723
you're going
to literally be pumping
592
00:28:10,823 --> 00:28:13,459
saltwater by hand
the rest of the crossing.
593
00:28:14,493 --> 00:28:16,228
And you've
got your personal stuff.
594
00:28:16,328 --> 00:28:18,264
Sleeping bags to keep you warm
when you're sleeping at night.
595
00:28:18,364 --> 00:28:21,067
A few extra layers
of clothes, foul weather gear,
596
00:28:21,167 --> 00:28:24,270
spare shorts,
hats, sunscreen.
597
00:28:25,204 --> 00:28:26,873
Then you've got something
called the ditch bag.
598
00:28:26,973 --> 00:28:28,808
This is a bag that,
if all goes wrong,
599
00:28:28,908 --> 00:28:31,377
you're going to take this
along with you in your lifeboat.
600
00:28:31,477 --> 00:28:33,045
And this is going to be
everything that you need.
601
00:28:33,145 --> 00:28:34,847
Your passports, money.
602
00:28:34,947 --> 00:28:36,482
And I haven't started
to mention things
603
00:28:36,582 --> 00:28:38,885
already mounted on the boat:
solar panels, rudders.
604
00:28:38,985 --> 00:28:41,553
These are all things that
are going into this small boat.
605
00:28:41,653 --> 00:28:43,990
And that means that
if you want to take less food
606
00:28:44,090 --> 00:28:45,591
so that you have more room
for other things,
607
00:28:45,691 --> 00:28:47,359
you're taking a chance there.
608
00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,329
Once you've got your boat,
609
00:28:50,429 --> 00:28:52,698
you start to focus on
some of the competition.
610
00:28:54,033 --> 00:28:55,534
It's a good competition,
611
00:28:55,634 --> 00:28:57,336
I heard the Row For James guys
are really strong.
612
00:28:57,436 --> 00:28:58,871
They've been using their boat
while they've been training
613
00:28:58,971 --> 00:29:00,039
with the right guys.
614
00:29:00,672 --> 00:29:03,542
And I'm really looking
forward to that competition.
615
00:29:03,843 --> 00:29:07,146
I think Row For James
are definitely competitors
616
00:29:07,246 --> 00:29:10,749
and, you know, a couple of
the guys are bigger than I am.
617
00:29:10,850 --> 00:29:13,219
We've done everything
we can to prepare mentally
618
00:29:13,319 --> 00:29:15,487
and physically, preparing
our boat now behind us.
619
00:29:15,587 --> 00:29:17,123
I think the biggest anxiety
620
00:29:17,223 --> 00:29:19,358
you have with ocean rowing
is the unknown.
621
00:29:20,759 --> 00:29:22,962
I would be lying if
I said that there wasn't fear
622
00:29:23,062 --> 00:29:24,263
and thinking
about the 30 days
623
00:29:24,363 --> 00:29:26,298
because of the discomfort,
the pain.
624
00:29:27,566 --> 00:29:29,135
The last year,
625
00:29:29,235 --> 00:29:31,070
I've been obsessed with putting
together the right guys,
626
00:29:31,170 --> 00:29:32,538
prepping the boat
in the right way,
627
00:29:32,638 --> 00:29:33,739
training the right way.
628
00:29:35,574 --> 00:29:38,510
And then all
of a sudden, here we were.
629
00:29:38,610 --> 00:29:39,745
The morning of the race.
630
00:29:42,148 --> 00:29:43,749
631
00:29:43,850 --> 00:29:47,553
Hi, Olympia.
Where's Daddy rowing a boat?
632
00:29:47,653 --> 00:29:49,956
On the ocean.
633
00:29:50,722 --> 00:29:52,258
On the ocean.
634
00:29:52,358 --> 00:29:53,325
That's right.
635
00:29:53,425 --> 00:29:55,494
636
00:29:55,594 --> 00:29:56,562
Daddy is on the ocean?
637
00:29:56,662 --> 00:29:58,497
On a boat!
638
00:29:59,031 --> 00:30:00,699
On a boat.
639
00:30:00,799 --> 00:30:02,468
Do you want to show
Daddy the picture?
640
00:30:02,568 --> 00:30:04,270
Go, get it.
641
00:30:04,370 --> 00:30:05,771
Okay, she's going to go get
a picture with Santa.
642
00:30:05,872 --> 00:30:07,406
She was so excited,
she kept saying,
643
00:30:07,506 --> 00:30:09,175
"Going to see Santa."
644
00:30:09,275 --> 00:30:11,810
And then we got there
and she was, like, silent.
645
00:30:11,911 --> 00:30:13,545
And she wouldn't
even sit on his lap.
646
00:30:13,645 --> 00:30:14,947
647
00:30:15,047 --> 00:30:16,648
Oh, that's cute.
648
00:30:16,748 --> 00:30:19,818
649
00:30:19,919 --> 00:30:22,654
So, I wish you
all safe crossing.
650
00:30:22,754 --> 00:30:26,258
Be careful out there
and see you in Antigua.
651
00:30:26,959 --> 00:30:28,727
652
00:30:28,827 --> 00:30:32,899
653
00:30:40,072 --> 00:30:41,507
654
00:30:43,910 --> 00:30:47,479
655
00:30:59,525 --> 00:31:03,795
656
00:31:12,471 --> 00:31:13,605
657
00:31:13,705 --> 00:31:15,741
658
00:31:18,144 --> 00:31:19,811
Oh. All right.
659
00:31:19,912 --> 00:31:23,349
Coming into the afternoon
of our first row,
660
00:31:23,449 --> 00:31:26,618
first day,
already seen dolphins.
661
00:31:26,718 --> 00:31:28,620
That's a good sign.
662
00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:32,558
From the very first stroke
I was motivated and excited.
663
00:31:33,359 --> 00:31:35,962
So, we rowed three up
for probably half a day
664
00:31:36,062 --> 00:31:38,564
and we had two hours on,
and 40-minutes off.
665
00:31:39,598 --> 00:31:41,133
We're currently
in the most southern boat.
666
00:31:41,233 --> 00:31:43,469
Hello. Jason?
667
00:31:45,071 --> 00:31:47,339
And we all have
this vivid memory of Matt
668
00:31:47,439 --> 00:31:49,475
coming off the oars,
dripping in sweat.
669
00:31:50,609 --> 00:31:52,011
The very first stroke,
670
00:31:52,111 --> 00:31:53,812
I'm treating it, like,
it's a 2,000-meter race.
671
00:31:53,912 --> 00:31:58,951
I'm, like, chugging water
and just sweating like crazy.
672
00:31:59,051 --> 00:32:01,954
He's just drenched
and he gets out of the wet food
673
00:32:02,054 --> 00:32:03,455
and he is just eating
and all-day breakfast.
674
00:32:03,555 --> 00:32:04,823
And he goes,
675
00:32:04,923 --> 00:32:06,292
"Got to stay hydrated,
got to keep the--
676
00:32:06,392 --> 00:32:07,826
got to keep the--
got to keep the body going."
677
00:32:09,728 --> 00:32:12,864
Just coming up on 24 hours
since the race start.
678
00:32:12,965 --> 00:32:14,866
I think it's fair
to say that
679
00:32:14,967 --> 00:32:18,204
the adrenaline of the start
has worn off.
680
00:32:18,304 --> 00:32:20,306
And now we're trying
to slowly settle
681
00:32:20,406 --> 00:32:22,574
into the reality
of a month-plus at sea.
682
00:32:23,942 --> 00:32:25,611
Something started to change.
683
00:32:25,711 --> 00:32:29,215
And I start-- I started
feeling a little bit queasy.
684
00:32:29,948 --> 00:32:32,884
People starting
to feel ill, tired
685
00:32:32,985 --> 00:32:39,258
and, uh-- and having trouble
holding anything down
686
00:32:39,358 --> 00:32:40,826
and having an appetite.
687
00:32:40,926 --> 00:32:42,461
But that's all to be expected.
688
00:32:42,561 --> 00:32:45,864
Nobody's complaining
and just powering through it.
689
00:32:47,199 --> 00:32:48,467
I started to throw up.
690
00:32:51,803 --> 00:32:53,472
The obvious reservations
that Matt
691
00:32:53,572 --> 00:32:56,142
hadn't spent
a lot of time at sea.
692
00:32:56,242 --> 00:32:58,144
On paper,
we knew that he was able
693
00:32:58,244 --> 00:33:00,246
to pull
the oar stronger than us.
694
00:33:00,346 --> 00:33:04,016
To Jason that meant
a lot, but in my eyes,
695
00:33:04,116 --> 00:33:05,984
that screams disaster.
696
00:33:07,586 --> 00:33:09,821
He was trying to eat,
trying to hydrate himself.
697
00:33:09,921 --> 00:33:11,823
Nothing was happening,
and that's normal.
698
00:33:11,923 --> 00:33:13,592
I thought it was fine.
699
00:33:13,692 --> 00:33:15,261
Give him
two to three days.
700
00:33:15,361 --> 00:33:21,033
I was on this team to be
the guy who's the strong rower.
701
00:33:22,168 --> 00:33:24,536
And that was
my strength on the team.
702
00:33:24,636 --> 00:33:26,238
And I wasn't doing that.
703
00:33:28,807 --> 00:33:31,610
He was losing a lot of weight.
I was rowing in front of him.
704
00:33:31,710 --> 00:33:34,146
I noticed the power
disappearing behind me.
705
00:33:35,481 --> 00:33:38,584
Angus would spend Matt's
first hour on a shift with him
706
00:33:38,684 --> 00:33:41,053
and then I'd come in
and spend the second hour.
707
00:33:41,153 --> 00:33:44,190
So, as we pass
each other, he'd say,
708
00:33:44,290 --> 00:33:46,325
"Hey, he's barely pulling
at all."
709
00:33:47,626 --> 00:33:49,428
710
00:33:49,961 --> 00:33:52,331
It got worse and worse
and worse.
711
00:33:52,431 --> 00:33:55,067
Alex was right
outside the cabin door
712
00:33:55,167 --> 00:34:00,005
and I would throw the door open
and hopefully make it to--
713
00:34:00,106 --> 00:34:01,573
to the edge of the boat,
714
00:34:01,673 --> 00:34:03,909
just puking up everything
that was in my stomach.
715
00:34:05,244 --> 00:34:07,446
I went through for four
or five days just thinking,
716
00:34:07,546 --> 00:34:09,348
"This-- this is now time
wasting."
717
00:34:09,448 --> 00:34:13,885
And it coincided a time where
Row For James were equal to us,
718
00:34:13,985 --> 00:34:15,654
ahead of us and behind us
719
00:34:15,754 --> 00:34:18,590
and every stroke, every day,
every mile mattered.
720
00:34:18,690 --> 00:34:22,761
And then we have Matt
not performing to his 100%.
721
00:34:22,861 --> 00:34:25,030
And that was
really, really painful.
722
00:34:25,131 --> 00:34:26,965
I know more
than anyone that you need
723
00:34:27,065 --> 00:34:28,700
to have everything 100%
to get that record.
724
00:34:30,102 --> 00:34:33,272
I think Jason must have-- must
really be having flashbacks.
725
00:34:33,372 --> 00:34:34,873
You see, he was
getting nervous about it.
726
00:34:36,308 --> 00:34:38,444
And there's
a lot of me thinking,
727
00:34:38,544 --> 00:34:40,879
"Have you not learned
a thing from last year?"
728
00:34:42,214 --> 00:34:43,482
Let me pause right there.
729
00:34:43,949 --> 00:34:46,051
730
00:34:46,152 --> 00:34:48,754
This is not the first time
that I was attempting this race.
731
00:34:48,854 --> 00:34:52,958
In fact, I had attempted
this row a year ago in 2015.
732
00:34:53,525 --> 00:34:55,060
So just a week
after we got married,
733
00:34:55,161 --> 00:34:57,463
we went to Costa Rica
and I flew home
734
00:34:57,563 --> 00:35:01,167
and he flew to the Canaries
to get ready for the race.
735
00:35:01,267 --> 00:35:04,270
It didn't really hit me until
the day that he was leaving
736
00:35:04,370 --> 00:35:09,375
that I won't see you for
a month and a half, maybe more.
737
00:35:09,475 --> 00:35:11,710
Look, I knew it was
going to be hard on Amelia,
738
00:35:11,810 --> 00:35:13,879
but in my mind,
it was worth it.
739
00:35:15,013 --> 00:35:17,549
I was going to redefine
the sport of ocean rowing.
740
00:35:19,318 --> 00:35:21,620
It was two ends
of the spectrum for this race.
741
00:35:21,720 --> 00:35:23,822
You've got on
one end the Salty Sailors
742
00:35:23,922 --> 00:35:27,493
that can take storms
and know how to read storms,
743
00:35:27,593 --> 00:35:30,028
that can over-correct,
that can take harsh conditions.
744
00:35:30,128 --> 00:35:32,631
And that is certainly
a lot to be said there.
745
00:35:32,731 --> 00:35:34,065
Then on the other end
of the spectrum,
746
00:35:34,166 --> 00:35:35,634
it's pretty much our team.
747
00:35:35,734 --> 00:35:37,002
We've created a new spectrum,
748
00:35:37,102 --> 00:35:38,804
I think,
which is this elite athlete
749
00:35:38,904 --> 00:35:41,707
that comes from the
traditional rowing background.
750
00:35:42,741 --> 00:35:44,643
It doesn't matter that
they haven't gone in the ocean.
751
00:35:44,743 --> 00:35:47,145
It matters that they understand
what pain is all about.
752
00:35:47,246 --> 00:35:48,847
They all know
how to fight through that.
753
00:35:48,947 --> 00:35:51,483
I'll start off with
Tom Magarov.
754
00:35:51,583 --> 00:35:54,820
Tom and I have worked together
for the last three years.
755
00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:58,657
Since then, him and I
have become very, very close.
756
00:35:58,757 --> 00:36:01,427
He was one of
my groomsmen at my wedding.
757
00:36:01,527 --> 00:36:03,562
Next guy, Nick Khan.
758
00:36:03,662 --> 00:36:06,498
Six-foot-four,
huge guy, great rower,
759
00:36:06,598 --> 00:36:08,634
an elite athlete,
to say the least.
760
00:36:08,734 --> 00:36:10,836
Greg Wood,
fourth and final guy.
761
00:36:11,303 --> 00:36:13,138
He's got
a lot of boat knowledge.
762
00:36:14,373 --> 00:36:18,176
I had selected people that
on paper were perfect for this.
763
00:36:18,277 --> 00:36:19,911
They were essentially,
like hired guns.
764
00:36:21,012 --> 00:36:23,982
I mean, Jason thought
for sure they were going to win.
765
00:36:24,082 --> 00:36:26,352
I was surprised
at how confident he was.
766
00:36:26,852 --> 00:36:30,055
The only thing we were really
worried about was Angus' team.
767
00:36:30,822 --> 00:36:33,792
These four guys
were old childhood friends
768
00:36:33,892 --> 00:36:35,961
that had grew up together
in boarding school,
769
00:36:36,061 --> 00:36:39,097
and this race was literally
a reunion for them,
770
00:36:39,197 --> 00:36:41,567
which is why they call
themselves Ocean Reunion.
771
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,503
So, we've been training
for that for two years now
772
00:36:44,603 --> 00:36:46,137
and we've had
to sacrifice a lot.
773
00:36:46,238 --> 00:36:49,174
Some of us have lost jobs,
lost girlfriends.
774
00:36:49,275 --> 00:36:51,109
So, if you're going
to sacrifice all of that,
775
00:36:51,209 --> 00:36:52,711
you might as well try
and win the race.
776
00:36:53,545 --> 00:36:55,681
But it's not up to us
at the end of the day.
777
00:36:57,249 --> 00:37:00,018
Even though
they were loud and obnoxious,
778
00:37:00,118 --> 00:37:01,953
showing up late
to mandatory meetings,
779
00:37:02,053 --> 00:37:03,622
seeming like they're half drunk
when they were there,
780
00:37:03,722 --> 00:37:05,190
it was also so apparent
781
00:37:05,291 --> 00:37:08,260
how much they loved
and respected one another.
782
00:37:09,728 --> 00:37:10,729
They had come
with the ambition
783
00:37:10,829 --> 00:37:12,163
of breaking the world record
784
00:37:12,264 --> 00:37:15,467
for the fastest four-man
crossing, as had we.
785
00:37:19,371 --> 00:37:20,572
Love you.
786
00:37:20,672 --> 00:37:22,107
-Good luck to you.
-Yeah, you too.
787
00:37:22,207 --> 00:37:23,375
Thanks for helping us.
Yeah.
788
00:37:24,075 --> 00:37:26,111
And in the ocean rowing world,
that's a big thing
789
00:37:26,211 --> 00:37:29,481
like the four-minute mile,
it's the 30-day crossing.
790
00:37:29,581 --> 00:37:31,082
And it is only possible
791
00:37:31,182 --> 00:37:32,784
if the weather
is absolutely perfect
792
00:37:32,884 --> 00:37:35,153
and the team is perfect
and the boat is immaculate.
793
00:37:35,587 --> 00:37:39,224
But I try not to think about
it because I'm going to jinx it.
794
00:37:40,926 --> 00:37:45,163
So, our goal is
and it's always been to row
795
00:37:45,263 --> 00:37:47,866
these 3,000 miles
in 30 days.
796
00:37:48,734 --> 00:37:50,101
There is some arrogance
in that.
797
00:37:50,201 --> 00:37:51,737
There has to be a little bit
of arrogance,
798
00:37:51,837 --> 00:37:53,405
you're crossing the fucking
ocean, for Christ's sake.
799
00:37:53,872 --> 00:37:58,009
Jason, I thought, he was
very naive to the ocean,
800
00:37:58,109 --> 00:38:00,846
very good at talking about
rowing hard,
801
00:38:00,946 --> 00:38:02,548
not knowing what that meant.
802
00:38:03,482 --> 00:38:05,651
A lot of people think,
"Oh, I rowed a Henley Regatta,
803
00:38:05,751 --> 00:38:07,085
I rowed
for my university,
804
00:38:07,185 --> 00:38:08,720
therefore, I'm good
for rowing an ocean.
805
00:38:09,721 --> 00:38:11,723
And the fact of the matter is,
when you're rowing out
806
00:38:11,823 --> 00:38:15,226
in the Atlantic, you're
rocking all over the place.
807
00:38:15,327 --> 00:38:16,895
It's nothing like river rowing.
808
00:38:16,995 --> 00:38:19,130
There are
so many other prerequisites
809
00:38:19,230 --> 00:38:21,833
that are more important
than rowing itself.
810
00:38:21,933 --> 00:38:27,406
811
00:38:27,506 --> 00:38:29,608
You have to think that
812
00:38:29,708 --> 00:38:31,843
you're a little bit special
in order to do that.
813
00:38:31,943 --> 00:38:32,978
If you don't,
you're in trouble.
814
00:38:34,079 --> 00:38:35,213
And I could be wrong.
815
00:38:35,313 --> 00:38:37,349
Talk-- talk to me
after this race.
816
00:38:37,449 --> 00:38:39,851
And if we finish in 50 days,
then everyone can say,
817
00:38:39,951 --> 00:38:41,086
"I told you so."
818
00:38:41,186 --> 00:38:43,955
819
00:38:46,492 --> 00:38:48,794
Within 24 hours of starting
this race,
820
00:38:48,894 --> 00:38:51,262
Nick started getting sick.
821
00:38:54,966 --> 00:38:58,269
He started throwing up
as he was rowing.
822
00:38:58,370 --> 00:39:01,306
One of the toughest things
I saw him do
823
00:39:01,407 --> 00:39:04,342
throw up, row,
throw up, row.
824
00:39:04,443 --> 00:39:08,714
And it didn't take more than
a half a day of us being out
825
00:39:08,814 --> 00:39:11,850
in those swells for him to start
taking a turn for the worse.
826
00:39:11,950 --> 00:39:16,722
As the days went on, I tried
eating, I tried drinking water.
827
00:39:16,822 --> 00:39:18,356
Nothing was staying down.
828
00:39:20,091 --> 00:39:21,427
And then finally
it got to a point
829
00:39:21,527 --> 00:39:22,694
where he couldn't even move.
830
00:39:22,794 --> 00:39:24,763
And then he never left
the cabin.
831
00:39:24,863 --> 00:39:27,666
And that was-- that
was the beginning of the end.
832
00:39:27,766 --> 00:39:31,202
By day six,
he was so dehydrated,
833
00:39:31,302 --> 00:39:33,138
malnourished and seasick
834
00:39:33,238 --> 00:39:37,208
that he was starting to shake
and talk out of his mind,
835
00:39:37,308 --> 00:39:40,412
even saying he was going to jump
out of the water and swim home.
836
00:39:40,512 --> 00:39:42,881
And so, I made the call
to the duty officers
837
00:39:42,981 --> 00:39:45,884
who knew that this was now
a life-threatening situation,
838
00:39:45,984 --> 00:39:49,320
that he needed to be taken
off-board and given an IV.
839
00:39:49,421 --> 00:39:51,222
You guys are going to come out?
840
00:39:51,322 --> 00:39:53,224
You're going
to send a boat out?
841
00:39:53,324 --> 00:39:55,461
Two days plus, you think.
842
00:39:55,561 --> 00:39:57,028
They're going
to leave today?
843
00:39:57,128 --> 00:39:58,930
We anchored, which
we weren't expecting to do.
844
00:39:59,030 --> 00:40:00,966
We did not know that
we were going to have to anchor.
845
00:40:01,066 --> 00:40:02,367
But it makes sense, right?
846
00:40:02,468 --> 00:40:03,535
Stay where you are
so that the sailboat
847
00:40:03,635 --> 00:40:05,036
doesn't have to chase you down.
848
00:40:06,171 --> 00:40:08,406
The first thought that
rolled through my mind was,
849
00:40:09,608 --> 00:40:11,710
"Shit, we're not going
to win this race."
850
00:40:13,011 --> 00:40:14,546
The thought of anchoring
for days
851
00:40:14,646 --> 00:40:16,047
while teams
were going ahead of us
852
00:40:16,147 --> 00:40:17,916
was, you know,
soul crushing to me.
853
00:40:19,150 --> 00:40:21,820
We always knew that Latitude
were going to be a big threat.
854
00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:23,822
And then we realized Latitude
855
00:40:23,922 --> 00:40:25,323
just basically
weren't really moving,
856
00:40:25,423 --> 00:40:26,992
compared to the other
four-man boats.
857
00:40:27,092 --> 00:40:29,294
We thought something bad
must have happened.
858
00:40:32,230 --> 00:40:33,732
We knew Nick was going.
859
00:40:33,832 --> 00:40:35,166
I was very surprised
by the fact
860
00:40:35,266 --> 00:40:37,268
that Greg came up to me
and said...
861
00:40:37,368 --> 00:40:39,738
"Jason, I-- I think
I'm going to go with Nick.
862
00:40:39,838 --> 00:40:41,973
Now, remember,
Nick needs to get off the boat.
863
00:40:42,073 --> 00:40:43,108
This is
life-threatening for him.
864
00:40:43,208 --> 00:40:44,710
This was not his choice.
865
00:40:44,810 --> 00:40:46,244
But, Greg,
Greg's healthy.
866
00:40:49,014 --> 00:40:52,250
Before we even left,
we were talking about the team
867
00:40:52,350 --> 00:40:55,821
and-- and how we were
acting or how we meshed.
868
00:40:55,921 --> 00:40:57,255
And Nick and I were like,
869
00:40:57,355 --> 00:40:58,990
"Yeah, we're on the team,
870
00:40:59,090 --> 00:41:02,060
but we're not as tight
as Tom and Jay ever were."
871
00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:04,663
And there's a little crack
like, you know,
872
00:41:04,763 --> 00:41:06,732
that something's not as tight
as it could be
873
00:41:06,832 --> 00:41:08,967
or probably should be
when you're going to go on
874
00:41:09,067 --> 00:41:11,402
an outrageously difficult
journey.
875
00:41:11,503 --> 00:41:15,106
Jason didn't want
to acknowledge that the team
876
00:41:15,206 --> 00:41:17,442
he put together
wasn't going to work.
877
00:41:17,543 --> 00:41:19,911
The record was slipping
away very quickly.
878
00:41:21,747 --> 00:41:23,314
879
00:41:26,752 --> 00:41:28,687
To any campaigns vessel,
880
00:41:28,787 --> 00:41:32,691
this is Latitude 35 American
Spirit. Go ahead. Over.
881
00:41:32,791 --> 00:41:35,293
We are
reading three miles,
882
00:41:35,393 --> 00:41:38,964
so you should be having eye
contact with us.
883
00:41:39,064 --> 00:41:42,333
The minute you do,
please call and let us know.
884
00:41:42,433 --> 00:41:44,870
'Cause for us, it's quite
difficult to see you.
885
00:41:44,970 --> 00:41:47,873
We heard
all that and roger that.
886
00:41:52,678 --> 00:41:55,013
The driver of that boat,
887
00:41:55,113 --> 00:41:57,683
she came into us
in the high winds.
888
00:42:00,185 --> 00:42:02,287
Getting our boats
attached was a trick
889
00:42:02,387 --> 00:42:04,122
because they threw
the-- the line out.
890
00:42:04,222 --> 00:42:05,423
You know,
it went under our boat.
891
00:42:05,523 --> 00:42:06,992
It got wrapped
around our rudder.
892
00:42:07,626 --> 00:42:09,628
rudder.
893
00:42:10,729 --> 00:42:11,930
To have it under our boat
894
00:42:12,030 --> 00:42:13,732
on our rudder,
could flip our boat.
895
00:42:13,832 --> 00:42:16,702
Eventually, we got attached
to the cleat and we were good.
896
00:42:18,704 --> 00:42:21,372
Now, the problem is
they would get too close.
897
00:42:21,472 --> 00:42:22,708
A wave would bring them into us.
898
00:42:22,808 --> 00:42:26,011
Watch out,
watch out, watch out.
899
00:42:26,111 --> 00:42:27,913
And, you know,
if their boat hits our boat,
900
00:42:28,013 --> 00:42:29,147
we are going to be devastated.
901
00:42:31,182 --> 00:42:34,820
Greg got off fairly
easily because he was stronger.
902
00:42:39,324 --> 00:42:42,060
903
00:42:42,761 --> 00:42:44,696
All right.
904
00:42:44,796 --> 00:42:47,933
Our boat kept getting tugged
every four minutes.
905
00:42:48,033 --> 00:42:50,902
Which would throw us back
and off our balance.
906
00:42:51,002 --> 00:42:52,270
And at this point,
907
00:42:52,370 --> 00:42:53,805
we're trying to deal with
a sick person
908
00:42:53,905 --> 00:42:55,607
who can barely stand up.
909
00:42:55,707 --> 00:43:00,211
He was in the cabin,
scared, moaning, crying.
910
00:43:00,311 --> 00:43:03,348
And I-- and this is one of
the toughest men I've ever met.
911
00:43:03,448 --> 00:43:05,784
I've got the life preserver.
912
00:43:05,884 --> 00:43:07,252
He's holding it.
He's got it.
913
00:43:07,352 --> 00:43:08,586
He's attached.
914
00:43:08,687 --> 00:43:10,255
I'm about to drop him in.
"Are you ready?"
915
00:43:10,355 --> 00:43:12,423
"Yes."
We drop him in.
916
00:43:12,523 --> 00:43:14,259
The first thing that
happens is that he loses it.
917
00:43:14,893 --> 00:43:16,094
He loses the line.
918
00:43:19,731 --> 00:43:22,167
He then proceeds
to go underneath our boat.
919
00:43:22,267 --> 00:43:24,035
[bubbling]
920
00:43:25,704 --> 00:43:26,905
He's gone.
921
00:43:27,005 --> 00:43:29,107
922
00:43:35,046 --> 00:43:36,648
I think that's
the only time in my life
923
00:43:36,748 --> 00:43:38,383
when I have actually
been scared.
924
00:43:38,483 --> 00:43:39,617
Um.
925
00:43:41,653 --> 00:43:44,856
You're-- you're one person
just in the ocean
926
00:43:44,956 --> 00:43:47,592
um, floating there
on your own
927
00:43:47,693 --> 00:43:51,329
and hoping that one of these
two tiny little boats
928
00:43:51,429 --> 00:43:52,764
is going to be able
to save you.
929
00:43:53,631 --> 00:43:55,867
930
00:43:57,035 --> 00:44:01,072
His foot gets tangled
underwater on the line
931
00:44:01,172 --> 00:44:02,908
that attaches our boat
to theirs
932
00:44:03,008 --> 00:44:04,509
and is now wrapped around
his foot
933
00:44:04,609 --> 00:44:07,045
and it's pulling tight
and he is screaming,
934
00:44:07,145 --> 00:44:08,880
"My foot's going to break."
935
00:44:09,647 --> 00:44:12,250
Tom, in a great moment
of clarity
936
00:44:12,350 --> 00:44:14,152
takes a knife and cuts us away.
937
00:44:17,989 --> 00:44:19,590
Oh, it's gone.
It's gone.
938
00:44:23,561 --> 00:44:26,497
No, no, no, Maria,
it's off, it's loose.
939
00:44:28,433 --> 00:44:31,302
No, no, no, no, be careful.
Please. Please.
940
00:44:31,402 --> 00:44:33,404
941
00:44:33,504 --> 00:44:35,640
942
00:44:40,311 --> 00:44:42,313
943
00:44:42,413 --> 00:44:44,816
Oh God!
944
00:44:44,916 --> 00:44:46,885
Oh no!
Stop it, stop the boat.
945
00:44:48,086 --> 00:44:49,420
Please help!
946
00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:55,026
Okay.
947
00:44:55,126 --> 00:45:00,999
*
948
00:45:23,755 --> 00:45:25,023
I've seen
the worst case scenario
949
00:45:25,123 --> 00:45:26,925
with Nick in 2015.
950
00:45:27,793 --> 00:45:30,862
I wasn't about to make
that same mistake with Matt.
951
00:45:35,133 --> 00:45:36,701
There was finally this point
952
00:45:36,802 --> 00:45:38,970
where almost
to the end of a shift,
953
00:45:39,070 --> 00:45:42,440
I had 35 minutes left
and I said to J,
954
00:45:43,141 --> 00:45:46,344
"Buddy, I don't know
if I can do this
955
00:45:46,444 --> 00:45:48,479
for the next shift."
956
00:45:51,716 --> 00:45:53,484
We knew Matt
was really suffering.
957
00:45:53,584 --> 00:45:57,022
We had to pull together
to-- to help him anyway.
958
00:46:00,225 --> 00:46:02,760
Matt was pretty sick
the last couple of days,
959
00:46:03,829 --> 00:46:05,696
rowing, throwing up
over the side of the boat
960
00:46:05,797 --> 00:46:07,298
and just kept on rowing.
961
00:46:07,398 --> 00:46:11,069
Last was pretty bad,
so Angus and I split his shifts,
962
00:46:11,169 --> 00:46:13,771
giving him some time
to eat and then fall asleep,
963
00:46:13,872 --> 00:46:15,006
drink and fall asleep.
964
00:46:16,942 --> 00:46:18,977
And I took
that two-hour rest session.
965
00:46:19,077 --> 00:46:22,013
Jay came
and knocked on the cabin door
966
00:46:22,113 --> 00:46:25,150
after a couple hours and
he's like, "How are you doing?
967
00:46:25,250 --> 00:46:26,617
Like, drink some water."
968
00:46:26,717 --> 00:46:28,820
He was just being
very kind of like nurturing.
969
00:46:29,720 --> 00:46:31,656
He didn't even ask if
I was ready to come out.
970
00:46:31,756 --> 00:46:34,325
He-- he knew that
I needed some more time.
971
00:46:35,126 --> 00:46:37,195
You know, six hours is
better than two hours sleep.
972
00:46:38,229 --> 00:46:39,764
And by the end of that session,
973
00:46:39,865 --> 00:46:42,400
I had had even
a little bit of water
974
00:46:42,500 --> 00:46:44,002
and I was holding it down
975
00:46:44,102 --> 00:46:48,106
and I had just
a bite of a granola bar
976
00:46:48,206 --> 00:46:49,374
and I held that down.
977
00:46:49,474 --> 00:46:50,808
And I was like, "I think--
978
00:46:50,909 --> 00:46:52,911
I think I'm going
to make it through this.
979
00:46:56,181 --> 00:46:57,782
Here's the old Matt.
980
00:46:57,883 --> 00:46:59,784
He's back.
He's getting stronger
981
00:46:59,885 --> 00:47:01,386
and we can
feel him pulling now.
982
00:47:06,691 --> 00:47:08,326
We went south.
983
00:47:08,426 --> 00:47:10,862
History has shown that the
better winds are in the south
984
00:47:10,962 --> 00:47:13,131
and we were going
to try to catch those.
985
00:47:13,231 --> 00:47:15,666
Row For James
decided to go almost due west
986
00:47:15,766 --> 00:47:17,802
and take
essentially a straight line.
987
00:47:17,903 --> 00:47:20,205
Within a couple of days,
we were realizing
988
00:47:20,305 --> 00:47:23,909
that they were catching
much faster wind and waves,
989
00:47:24,009 --> 00:47:25,710
much fairer conditions
than we were.
990
00:47:28,479 --> 00:47:33,018
Angus came onto the team as
like the guy who knows routing
991
00:47:33,118 --> 00:47:35,853
and he's got this
perfect routing strategy
992
00:47:35,954 --> 00:47:37,222
and you could sort of see
993
00:47:37,322 --> 00:47:39,925
Angus doubting
himself a little bit.
994
00:47:41,326 --> 00:47:45,163
And I didn't really
let on to Jason and Matt,
995
00:47:45,263 --> 00:47:46,431
but I think Alex knew as well
996
00:47:46,531 --> 00:47:47,832
because I had experienced
997
00:47:47,933 --> 00:47:49,667
that we were in
a disadvantaged position.
998
00:47:50,301 --> 00:47:54,705
And-- and it was
really hard to admit
999
00:47:54,805 --> 00:47:57,442
that we weren't in as--
in as strong position as them.
1000
00:48:03,181 --> 00:48:06,017
We actually rowed more
miles than them every shift.
1001
00:48:06,117 --> 00:48:08,486
And so we knew that
we were a faster boat
1002
00:48:08,586 --> 00:48:10,088
and we knew that
we can out row them.
1003
00:48:10,188 --> 00:48:14,225
So, we then had to have
a big, aggressive move
1004
00:48:14,325 --> 00:48:16,261
to come up to them.
1005
00:48:16,361 --> 00:48:18,396
And then we brought
the fight to them.
1006
00:48:21,366 --> 00:48:24,335
This is not a powerboat.
This is not a sailboat.
1007
00:48:24,435 --> 00:48:27,672
This is a self-propelled
boat with oars,
1008
00:48:27,772 --> 00:48:30,141
so if you are
changing direction
1009
00:48:30,241 --> 00:48:32,978
and going against
either the winds or the waves,
1010
00:48:33,078 --> 00:48:34,545
you're going to
slow yourself down.
1011
00:48:36,714 --> 00:48:38,249
So in order to get there,
1012
00:48:38,349 --> 00:48:40,018
we're going to slow
down and be wet and miserable
1013
00:48:40,118 --> 00:48:41,719
in an effort to
just get to them.
1014
00:48:43,688 --> 00:48:45,323
It was one of the hardest bits
to row.
1015
00:48:48,593 --> 00:48:51,262
I feel like I still
have a crick in my neck
1016
00:48:52,130 --> 00:48:53,831
because the waves
hit you, and hit you,
1017
00:48:53,931 --> 00:48:56,201
and you're just kind
of trying to manage the wave
1018
00:48:56,301 --> 00:48:58,903
that is the next wave
that's coming over to hit you.
1019
00:48:59,004 --> 00:49:00,805
And I was constantly
looking left, I think,
1020
00:49:00,905 --> 00:49:02,473
for three straight days.
1021
00:49:06,211 --> 00:49:11,149
All night long, all we did was
get soaking wet and row hard.
1022
00:49:11,249 --> 00:49:12,783
It took a toll on us today.
1023
00:49:12,883 --> 00:49:15,353
Um, we're going to
do it again tonight.
1024
00:49:16,287 --> 00:49:18,223
We'd work really hard to go
1025
00:49:18,323 --> 00:49:19,690
and catch Row For James.
1026
00:49:19,790 --> 00:49:21,226
And when we finally got to them,
1027
00:49:21,326 --> 00:49:22,893
we would
straighten up a little bit.
1028
00:49:22,994 --> 00:49:25,663
We passed them. Barely.
1029
00:49:27,365 --> 00:49:29,600
And then they passed us again.
1030
00:49:30,568 --> 00:49:32,903
We were 900 miles in
1031
00:49:33,004 --> 00:49:35,473
and we were separated
by five miles.
1032
00:49:35,573 --> 00:49:37,242
For us to be looking around
1033
00:49:37,342 --> 00:49:39,244
and wondering if
that white cap was a boat,
1034
00:49:39,344 --> 00:49:41,646
"Is that them right there?"
It was incredible.
1035
00:49:41,746 --> 00:49:43,381
And so every four hours,
1036
00:49:43,481 --> 00:49:46,051
we required Tom,
our land manager,
1037
00:49:46,151 --> 00:49:51,056
to send a text updating us
with our speed, our bearing,
1038
00:49:51,156 --> 00:49:52,890
our distance away
from Row For James,
1039
00:49:52,990 --> 00:49:54,492
whether behind or ahead.
1040
00:49:54,592 --> 00:49:57,462
It became a very
technical row at that point.
1041
00:49:57,562 --> 00:50:00,365
It was make decisions
all the time,
1042
00:50:00,465 --> 00:50:03,168
check the bearing,
keep an eye on the speed.
1043
00:50:03,268 --> 00:50:06,071
3.1, 3.0, 3.3.
1044
00:50:06,171 --> 00:50:08,406
And we were
sitting at 2.7, 2.8,
1045
00:50:08,506 --> 00:50:10,741
which meant that they
were gaining half a mile
1046
00:50:10,841 --> 00:50:12,643
to a mile on us, every update.
1047
00:50:15,713 --> 00:50:21,752
Today is Christmas Day
here on the high seas.
1048
00:50:21,852 --> 00:50:25,423
This one today
is my Christmas card.
1049
00:50:25,523 --> 00:50:27,225
It's from Olympia.
1050
00:50:28,593 --> 00:50:31,096
That's sweet. She put
all these stickers on it.
1051
00:50:32,663 --> 00:50:34,099
Hey, how's it going?
1052
00:50:37,034 --> 00:50:39,704
We're good. Um,
Merry Christmas [indistinct].
1053
00:50:41,372 --> 00:50:42,640
Hey, Mom.
1054
00:50:42,740 --> 00:50:44,542
Thank you for
the Christmas presents.
1055
00:50:44,642 --> 00:50:46,111
Merry Christmas.
1056
00:50:46,211 --> 00:50:48,446
We're celebrating
here on the American Spirit.
1057
00:50:48,546 --> 00:50:49,947
It's the evening.
1058
00:50:50,047 --> 00:50:51,582
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Got our Christmas hats on.
1059
00:50:52,450 --> 00:50:53,784
There are stockings down here,
1060
00:50:54,852 --> 00:50:56,621
Matt's in his pride and glory.
1061
00:50:56,721 --> 00:50:58,389
There he is. Christmas day.
1062
00:50:58,489 --> 00:50:59,990
Thank you, Mom.
Merry Christmas.
1063
00:51:00,091 --> 00:51:01,259
-Jason is getting into--
-Hold on!
1064
00:51:01,359 --> 00:51:02,427
Into suit.
1065
00:51:03,461 --> 00:51:04,895
Angus is at rowing still.
1066
00:51:04,995 --> 00:51:06,297
1067
00:51:06,397 --> 00:51:07,532
No rest for
the wicked at Christmas.
1068
00:51:07,632 --> 00:51:08,699
Ho, ho, ho!
1069
00:51:10,801 --> 00:51:12,670
It doesn't feel
like Christmas at all.
1070
00:51:12,770 --> 00:51:14,739
Rashly flapping on water.
1071
00:51:14,839 --> 00:51:16,941
And I've got three up,
1072
00:51:17,041 --> 00:51:19,810
after the last shift
for doing an extra 30 minutes
1073
00:51:19,910 --> 00:51:25,350
because we are two
miles behind Row For James.
1074
00:51:28,919 --> 00:51:30,655
There's nothing about the ocean
1075
00:51:30,755 --> 00:51:33,291
that says a human
being should be living
1076
00:51:33,391 --> 00:51:34,925
or thriving there.
1077
00:51:35,025 --> 00:51:36,527
Everything is
slowly killing you.
1078
00:51:36,627 --> 00:51:38,829
You're exposed
to way too much heat.
1079
00:51:38,929 --> 00:51:41,098
You are burning more calories
1080
00:51:41,199 --> 00:51:42,967
than you're able
to put in your body.
1081
00:51:43,067 --> 00:51:44,935
The salt is all over your body
1082
00:51:45,035 --> 00:51:47,705
and it's creating soreness,
it's creating infection.
1083
00:51:48,606 --> 00:51:50,141
So even when you come off shift
1084
00:51:50,241 --> 00:51:53,544
and you've been soaked by waves,
you dry yourself off,
1085
00:51:53,644 --> 00:51:55,045
you will still have
salt crystals in your body
1086
00:51:55,146 --> 00:51:56,414
and you feel like
1087
00:51:56,514 --> 00:51:57,782
you're just being
pickled in the cabin.
1088
00:51:57,882 --> 00:52:00,084
And you feel all
itchy and almost like
1089
00:52:00,185 --> 00:52:01,952
if you've jumped into
a bed of stingy nettles.
1090
00:52:02,052 --> 00:52:03,254
And you're pickling there.
1091
00:52:03,354 --> 00:52:04,989
And then you
come back out on shift
1092
00:52:05,089 --> 00:52:07,525
and it's almost relieving
when he first get hit by a wave
1093
00:52:07,625 --> 00:52:09,294
because you feel like
you've washed it off.
1094
00:52:09,394 --> 00:52:11,128
And then it dries on you again
1095
00:52:11,229 --> 00:52:13,030
and then you
carry on being pickled.
1096
00:52:13,130 --> 00:52:14,665
Basically,
whenever you're moving
1097
00:52:14,765 --> 00:52:17,568
when that salt gets in
there and it's just rubbing
1098
00:52:17,668 --> 00:52:20,070
and wearing down your
skin and creating sores.
1099
00:52:20,771 --> 00:52:22,807
What are we looking at here?
1100
00:52:22,907 --> 00:52:25,743
1101
00:52:25,843 --> 00:52:27,044
Oh.
1102
00:52:30,781 --> 00:52:32,450
Oh, yes. That's nice.
1103
00:52:32,550 --> 00:52:34,519
Not sure [indistinct] looking--
looking any better.
1104
00:52:35,453 --> 00:52:37,522
After a while
you've just sat on this thing
1105
00:52:37,622 --> 00:52:40,325
for so long
that it's compressed
1106
00:52:40,425 --> 00:52:43,761
and gotten smaller
in all the places
1107
00:52:43,861 --> 00:52:46,397
that it was supposed
to take the pressure off.
1108
00:52:46,764 --> 00:52:49,300
So I'm making a new one.
1109
00:52:49,400 --> 00:52:51,402
Ligament damage
to the hands.
1110
00:52:51,502 --> 00:52:53,338
So.
1111
00:52:53,438 --> 00:52:56,073
You'll see if I don't grab the
oars, my hands stay like this.
1112
00:52:56,741 --> 00:52:57,842
I mean,
I can straighten them out,
1113
00:52:57,942 --> 00:52:59,310
but they always just go back.
1114
00:52:59,410 --> 00:53:03,381
Um, I try to stretch
them out but really,
1115
00:53:04,549 --> 00:53:05,950
there's not much you can do.
1116
00:53:07,385 --> 00:53:09,920
Apart from that
we're swimming pretty easy.
1117
00:53:10,921 --> 00:53:12,790
It's uh, five in the morning.
1118
00:53:13,591 --> 00:53:19,297
Just got in the cabin and uh,
Matt, it was very nice of him--
1119
00:53:19,397 --> 00:53:20,431
Hello.
1120
00:53:20,531 --> 00:53:22,132
Did a fucking massive fart.
1121
00:53:22,233 --> 00:53:23,534
Hello, Mommy, you, all right?
1122
00:53:23,634 --> 00:53:25,102
As I walked in.
1123
00:53:25,202 --> 00:53:27,171
So, I'm going to fart
all evening in here
1124
00:53:27,272 --> 00:53:30,775
and I'm going to close it now
and just fart away.
1125
00:53:32,277 --> 00:53:35,112
1126
00:53:35,212 --> 00:53:37,248
When you've got rashes
all over your body
1127
00:53:37,348 --> 00:53:40,184
and your ass is in so much pain
1128
00:53:40,285 --> 00:53:42,787
and your legs, you're getting
more and more bruises.
1129
00:53:42,887 --> 00:53:44,422
Those cuts are getting deeper.
1130
00:53:45,155 --> 00:53:47,725
It is a big mind
game with yourself.
1131
00:53:47,825 --> 00:53:49,594
And...
1132
00:53:51,629 --> 00:53:55,032
how can you make sure
that your mind doesn't give up?
1133
00:53:59,470 --> 00:54:00,638
I don't know.
1134
00:54:05,410 --> 00:54:08,779
After Nick
was evacuated back in 2015,
1135
00:54:08,879 --> 00:54:10,948
Tom and I slogged it out
1136
00:54:11,048 --> 00:54:14,885
for a grueling 41 more days
to get to the finish line.
1137
00:54:20,425 --> 00:54:21,826
On the last day,
1138
00:54:21,926 --> 00:54:24,395
as Tom and I were rowing in,
the sun's up.
1139
00:54:25,229 --> 00:54:27,732
We're just miles away.
We can already see land.
1140
00:54:27,832 --> 00:54:31,268
And Tom is giddy.
1141
00:54:31,369 --> 00:54:33,170
He's giddy with excitement.
1142
00:54:33,270 --> 00:54:34,605
He sounds like a crazy man.
1143
00:54:34,705 --> 00:54:36,140
He's laughing at everything.
He's joking.
1144
00:54:36,240 --> 00:54:37,942
He's singing,
and he's-- he's happy.
1145
00:54:43,681 --> 00:54:47,485
But I'm not as happy or as giddy
or as excited as he is.
1146
00:54:47,585 --> 00:54:48,986
And I don't know why that is.
1147
00:54:49,086 --> 00:54:50,254
I almost feel ashamed
where I found myself
1148
00:54:50,355 --> 00:54:52,423
kind of like
acting a little bit.
1149
00:54:52,523 --> 00:54:58,563
1150
00:54:59,930 --> 00:55:01,866
1151
00:55:07,271 --> 00:55:08,906
I'm looking at Jason,
1152
00:55:09,006 --> 00:55:12,777
and he doesn't look like
any human that I've ever seen.
1153
00:55:12,877 --> 00:55:16,013
I mean,
he just looks so emaciated,
1154
00:55:16,113 --> 00:55:19,149
completely weathered,
and just fragile.
1155
00:55:20,518 --> 00:55:22,086
He lost 40 pounds.
1156
00:55:22,186 --> 00:55:24,422
Everything was
just aching, sore,
1157
00:55:24,522 --> 00:55:26,023
pretty much falling apart.
1158
00:55:26,123 --> 00:55:27,992
His body seemed defeated.
1159
00:55:29,093 --> 00:55:30,661
And in my mind, I'm thinking,
1160
00:55:31,362 --> 00:55:33,330
"Yeah, this is probably
one and done."
1161
00:55:33,431 --> 00:55:34,565
This seemed awful.
1162
00:55:34,665 --> 00:55:38,803
1163
00:55:42,272 --> 00:55:43,374
You all right?
1164
00:55:47,111 --> 00:55:49,447
I was just so overconfident
1165
00:55:49,547 --> 00:55:50,848
at the beginning of that race
1166
00:55:50,948 --> 00:55:53,751
and we had got
our asses handed to us.
1167
00:55:53,851 --> 00:55:55,553
And now all of a sudden,
1168
00:55:55,653 --> 00:55:57,422
that confidence
was just replaced
1169
00:55:57,522 --> 00:56:00,157
with doubt and despair.
1170
00:56:02,026 --> 00:56:05,663
I couldn't shake this--
this feeling of failure.
1171
00:56:09,199 --> 00:56:12,069
Maybe I am a guy
who's not good enough.
1172
00:56:13,438 --> 00:56:15,940
The guy that
finishes in second or 11th.
1173
00:56:16,841 --> 00:56:19,844
The guy who dreams big
but can't quite finish.
1174
00:56:22,513 --> 00:56:24,482
So what does
that do to a person?
1175
00:56:26,684 --> 00:56:28,619
Do you just give up?
1176
00:56:29,687 --> 00:56:31,422
Do you go back
to your comfortable life?
1177
00:56:35,025 --> 00:56:36,193
Or try again?
1178
00:56:40,264 --> 00:56:42,299
I knew that
I needed to do it again.
1179
00:56:45,670 --> 00:56:47,472
Why? Why do you want
to do this again?
1180
00:56:47,572 --> 00:56:48,939
I mean, I know you didn't win,
1181
00:56:49,039 --> 00:56:50,575
and I know that
so many things went wrong.
1182
00:56:50,675 --> 00:56:52,910
But why do you want
to do this again?
1183
00:56:55,412 --> 00:56:56,814
It affects me, too.
1184
00:56:56,914 --> 00:56:58,215
Like, he's not
here for Christmas.
1185
00:56:58,315 --> 00:57:01,552
You get a sad phone call
maybe once a week,
1186
00:57:01,652 --> 00:57:02,853
maybe it's twice.
1187
00:57:02,953 --> 00:57:04,188
You're lucky
if it's three minutes
1188
00:57:04,288 --> 00:57:05,823
and you can actually hear
what he's saying
1189
00:57:05,923 --> 00:57:07,291
on the other end.
1190
00:57:07,391 --> 00:57:08,826
You know, you're praying to God
1191
00:57:08,926 --> 00:57:11,095
that he's really doing
as well as he says he is.
1192
00:57:11,195 --> 00:57:13,564
But it's just
a lot of emotional strain.
1193
00:57:13,664 --> 00:57:15,500
And especially
if it's not going well,
1194
00:57:15,600 --> 00:57:17,935
it's really difficult
on both people.
1195
00:57:20,304 --> 00:57:22,106
Is there ever going
to be enough?
1196
00:57:22,206 --> 00:57:23,641
What's going to be the end game?
1197
00:57:23,741 --> 00:57:25,510
You know, if you--
What if you don't win this year,
1198
00:57:25,610 --> 00:57:26,977
it's a huge question mark.
1199
00:57:27,077 --> 00:57:29,947
It could be another
awful year of weather.
1200
00:57:30,047 --> 00:57:31,348
Something else could happen.
1201
00:57:31,448 --> 00:57:32,983
Someone else could be sick.
1202
00:57:33,083 --> 00:57:34,852
And then what if
you don't win again
1203
00:57:34,952 --> 00:57:39,389
or break the record
or even come in second or third?
1204
00:57:39,490 --> 00:57:41,559
Then what?
Then, are we doing it again?
1205
00:57:44,328 --> 00:57:46,296
This is the last time.
1206
00:57:50,234 --> 00:57:51,536
You lie.
1207
00:57:52,603 --> 00:57:54,338
And you tell the person
1208
00:57:54,438 --> 00:57:56,006
that you love
more than anyone in the world,
1209
00:57:56,106 --> 00:57:59,910
that no matter what happens
after this one,
1210
00:58:00,010 --> 00:58:02,479
I'll be happy
with whatever result.
1211
00:58:02,580 --> 00:58:05,883
But she and I both knew
that that wasn't true.
1212
00:58:09,920 --> 00:58:11,421
I've felt like I had a life
1213
00:58:11,522 --> 00:58:13,190
full of second place medals,
you know?
1214
00:58:13,290 --> 00:58:14,659
We've got this baseball
thing that didn't work out.
1215
00:58:14,759 --> 00:58:18,495
We've got the Olympics
that I just missed.
1216
00:58:18,596 --> 00:58:20,264
And now we've got this race.
1217
00:58:20,364 --> 00:58:22,466
We did something
against all odds, Tom and I,
1218
00:58:22,567 --> 00:58:24,301
But we didn't win the race.
That's what we went for.
1219
00:58:24,401 --> 00:58:26,003
We went to win the race
and we didn't.
1220
00:58:26,103 --> 00:58:30,040
I'm just so tired of, like,
always being that close
1221
00:58:30,140 --> 00:58:31,909
and people saying, "Well,
it was a valiant effort."
1222
00:58:32,009 --> 00:58:33,678
I don't want
valiant efforts anymore.
1223
00:58:34,311 --> 00:58:36,413
I know when to quit.
1224
00:58:36,513 --> 00:58:37,982
Like I've shown that in my life.
1225
00:58:38,082 --> 00:58:42,219
I mean, I chose
to not get the surgery,
1226
00:58:42,319 --> 00:58:45,656
and I had a choice
at the end of Vesper
1227
00:58:45,756 --> 00:58:47,758
to go another round,
another four years.
1228
00:58:48,626 --> 00:58:51,095
So I wasn't
a stranger to quitting.
1229
00:58:51,195 --> 00:58:52,730
I understood
how to give things up
1230
00:58:52,830 --> 00:58:55,800
when it was right
for me and for my family.
1231
00:58:55,900 --> 00:58:58,002
But this didn't feel right.
It didn't feel right.
1232
00:59:01,038 --> 00:59:03,440
There was something
that was gnawing at me.
1233
00:59:04,474 --> 00:59:07,044
And it was that time with Greg.
1234
00:59:07,612 --> 00:59:09,847
It's easy to get down
on Greg in this.
1235
00:59:09,947 --> 00:59:11,682
He left.
He abandoned us.
1236
00:59:11,782 --> 00:59:16,020
But in the end, as the captain
and the leader of that team,
1237
00:59:16,120 --> 00:59:20,524
I had failed
to keep Greg on that boat.
1238
00:59:20,625 --> 00:59:25,896
And that failure was
the biggest motivation
1239
00:59:25,996 --> 00:59:27,397
for doing it a second time.
1240
00:59:29,166 --> 00:59:32,169
I think maybe he forgot about
1241
00:59:32,269 --> 00:59:35,505
the great teams that
he was on at Sonoma State,
1242
00:59:35,606 --> 00:59:38,575
at Vesper and the love
that he had for those guys.
1243
00:59:38,676 --> 00:59:42,647
And that's the feeling
that he wanted to create
1244
00:59:42,747 --> 00:59:44,882
for the second row.
1245
00:59:47,685 --> 00:59:48,719
I've learned something
1246
00:59:48,819 --> 00:59:50,220
and I'm going
to do it the right way.
1247
00:59:51,889 --> 00:59:54,324
Inevitably,
the first person I ask is Tom,
1248
00:59:54,424 --> 00:59:56,694
to which I think he replied,
"Fuck no."
1249
00:59:56,794 --> 00:59:58,328
1250
00:59:58,428 --> 01:00:00,731
And-- Which was fair.
1251
01:00:00,831 --> 01:00:03,768
But he did agree
to be the land manager.
1252
01:00:03,868 --> 01:00:07,972
I started to build
a community of people.
1253
01:00:08,072 --> 01:00:10,708
Yeah, we spent time
rowing and working out,
1254
01:00:10,808 --> 01:00:13,744
but we spent more time
just being with each other.
1255
01:00:13,844 --> 01:00:15,479
Having meals together.
1256
01:00:17,848 --> 01:00:19,850
Getting to learn
about them more.
1257
01:00:19,950 --> 01:00:22,753
Our wives and girlfriends
should be part of this team.
1258
01:00:25,022 --> 01:00:27,624
That change in perspective
1259
01:00:28,693 --> 01:00:31,929
is the greatest difference
between 2015 and 2016.
1260
01:00:32,029 --> 01:00:35,332
1261
01:00:35,432 --> 01:00:40,404
1262
01:00:45,309 --> 01:00:47,011
We started to
make some changes here.
1263
01:00:47,111 --> 01:00:48,946
And I think this is--
this was the tipping point
1264
01:00:49,046 --> 01:00:51,015
with our competition
with Row For James.
1265
01:00:51,115 --> 01:00:52,950
We kind of reset and we said,
1266
01:00:53,050 --> 01:00:55,252
"Let's do everything
that we need to do on this boat
1267
01:00:55,352 --> 01:00:56,453
to give us the advantage."
1268
01:00:57,988 --> 01:00:59,890
That's when our power,
sea knowledge,
1269
01:00:59,990 --> 01:01:02,126
rowing experience
came into itself.
1270
01:01:02,760 --> 01:01:04,528
So we started to get lighter.
1271
01:01:04,628 --> 01:01:06,163
Any food that we didn't need,
1272
01:01:06,263 --> 01:01:08,632
we were taking out
of the packets and dumping.
1273
01:01:09,499 --> 01:01:11,101
We re-trimmed the boat.
1274
01:01:11,201 --> 01:01:12,737
We shifted weight around
1275
01:01:12,837 --> 01:01:14,872
to make it a little
bit easier to surf the waves.
1276
01:01:15,706 --> 01:01:18,608
That's Alex
bravely volunteering to go
1277
01:01:18,709 --> 01:01:20,244
and clean
the bottom of our boat.
1278
01:01:20,344 --> 01:01:22,612
We've been wondering
why the boat's been going slow
1279
01:01:22,713 --> 01:01:23,748
and this is the reason.
1280
01:01:24,314 --> 01:01:25,750
Like Jason
and I both appreciated
1281
01:01:25,850 --> 01:01:27,985
that we lead teams
in different ways,
1282
01:01:28,085 --> 01:01:31,488
and I'm more of a technical,
factual leader
1283
01:01:31,588 --> 01:01:33,958
where Jason's more
of an emotional leader.
1284
01:01:34,892 --> 01:01:36,961
That's when Jason's leadership
came in and he said,
1285
01:01:37,061 --> 01:01:38,829
"Right, here we go."
1286
01:01:38,929 --> 01:01:40,831
And he set big goals.
1287
01:01:41,631 --> 01:01:44,134
Goals that I thought there's
no way you should even--
1288
01:01:44,234 --> 01:01:46,804
You may be thinking of it,
say it out loud,
1289
01:01:46,904 --> 01:01:49,106
50 miles,
we're five hours behind them,
1290
01:01:49,206 --> 01:01:50,841
why are we thinking
about 50 miles ahead of them?
1291
01:01:51,541 --> 01:01:53,143
And you then see
1292
01:01:53,243 --> 01:01:55,379
that every stroke
does make a difference.
1293
01:01:56,146 --> 01:01:58,282
Matt is back
to his full strength.
1294
01:01:58,382 --> 01:02:01,451
He was now feeling like
he needed the full extra time.
1295
01:02:01,551 --> 01:02:04,121
Now this guy is
starting to just finish
1296
01:02:04,221 --> 01:02:06,690
his two-hour shift,
shovel some food down,
1297
01:02:06,791 --> 01:02:08,392
and then all of a sudden,
1298
01:02:08,492 --> 01:02:09,860
he just started putting
oars in that third position.
1299
01:02:09,960 --> 01:02:11,695
I'm like, "What are you doing?"
1300
01:02:11,796 --> 01:02:13,097
And he's like,
"I think I'm just going to row
1301
01:02:13,197 --> 01:02:14,431
for another hour.
I feel pretty good."
1302
01:02:14,531 --> 01:02:16,166
He just say it
like it was no big deal.
1303
01:02:16,266 --> 01:02:17,868
Like he was,
"I'm going to go feed my fish."
1304
01:02:19,103 --> 01:02:20,570
And I came out,
I actually got angry,
1305
01:02:20,670 --> 01:02:21,906
got angry at
one stage and said,
1306
01:02:22,006 --> 01:02:23,140
"I'm not going
to look after you
1307
01:02:23,240 --> 01:02:24,909
when you need to go to sleep.
1308
01:02:25,009 --> 01:02:26,576
You need to get
off the oars and eat."
1309
01:02:26,676 --> 01:02:28,712
And he said, "Don't worry, guys.
I can do this."
1310
01:02:28,813 --> 01:02:30,480
This is the first time
he did a six-hour shift,
1311
01:02:30,580 --> 01:02:33,417
and I sat there in front
of him fuming, thinking,
1312
01:02:33,517 --> 01:02:34,819
"Here we go.
We've got somebody who thinks
1313
01:02:34,919 --> 01:02:36,320
they row for six hours,
1314
01:02:36,420 --> 01:02:39,523
hero and he's going to be
asleep in four hours time
1315
01:02:39,623 --> 01:02:41,158
with a bad back."
1316
01:02:42,592 --> 01:02:44,494
He got back up
and did six hours,
1317
01:02:44,594 --> 01:02:46,263
went to sleep for two hours
and two hours off,
1318
01:02:46,363 --> 01:02:48,065
got back on route
just as hard as anyone else,
1319
01:02:48,165 --> 01:02:49,233
if not harder.
1320
01:02:50,400 --> 01:02:51,735
Unbelievable.
1321
01:02:53,770 --> 01:02:55,305
I mean,
that kind of selflessness
1322
01:02:55,405 --> 01:02:57,875
would just put
a smile on my face.
1323
01:02:58,843 --> 01:03:02,112
I've been on
my off shift for 30 minutes
1324
01:03:02,212 --> 01:03:03,780
and I'm still
sweating like this.
1325
01:03:07,717 --> 01:03:10,187
I'm trying to get as
much food as I possibly can.
1326
01:03:15,192 --> 01:03:18,896
So it's that day 18,
it's New Year's day in fact,
1327
01:03:18,996 --> 01:03:23,167
the first of January 2017,
Happy New Year.
1328
01:03:23,267 --> 01:03:25,135
Jason does a fantastic job
1329
01:03:25,235 --> 01:03:27,304
of making these days exciting.
1330
01:03:27,404 --> 01:03:28,873
So, for example,
1331
01:03:28,973 --> 01:03:31,976
here is the itinerary
that he's come up with,
1332
01:03:32,076 --> 01:03:37,214
7 PM, a dinner with
the theme of White Night,
1333
01:03:37,314 --> 01:03:43,820
1 PM, Rocking Karaoke
in the Windjammer Lounge.
1334
01:03:43,921 --> 01:03:46,256
That's at 1 PM. That's--
1335
01:03:47,291 --> 01:03:48,625
that's coming up really soon.
1336
01:03:48,725 --> 01:03:53,063
Angus, you come out
so well on film, though.
1337
01:03:54,364 --> 01:03:55,933
Say something funny.
1338
01:03:56,033 --> 01:03:59,136
How do you make
an American boat win a race?
1339
01:03:59,236 --> 01:04:01,338
How do you make
an American boat win a race?
1340
01:04:01,438 --> 01:04:02,907
You put two Brits on it.
1341
01:04:03,007 --> 01:04:06,210
1342
01:04:06,310 --> 01:04:12,416
1343
01:04:27,731 --> 01:04:31,101
Hand steering.
We're hand steering all night.
1344
01:04:31,868 --> 01:04:33,170
Decent amount of it today.
1345
01:04:33,270 --> 01:04:37,641
1346
01:04:43,447 --> 01:04:44,748
We just got off
1347
01:04:44,848 --> 01:04:46,216
a really good
night shift with Angus.
1348
01:04:46,316 --> 01:04:48,185
Matt's coming on the oars now.
1349
01:04:48,752 --> 01:04:50,187
Stunning moon up there.
1350
01:04:50,287 --> 01:04:55,225
1351
01:05:06,403 --> 01:05:08,005
I hate to even say it,
1352
01:05:08,105 --> 01:05:09,974
but right now we're tracking
you for the race record,
1353
01:05:10,074 --> 01:05:11,708
even the world record.
1354
01:05:11,808 --> 01:05:13,377
We're on pace, but...
1355
01:05:15,712 --> 01:05:20,017
the ocean is fickle
as
1356
01:05:23,120 --> 01:05:24,721
Who knows what
we're going to have to do.
1357
01:05:25,355 --> 01:05:28,125
Talking about record
is not a good thing.
1358
01:05:28,225 --> 01:05:30,160
And Jason and Matt
loves talking about it.
1359
01:05:30,260 --> 01:05:32,262
Angus and I was slightly
more reserved about it.
1360
01:05:32,362 --> 01:05:34,364
Angus and I might have
a little chat on the oars
1361
01:05:34,464 --> 01:05:36,700
at 3 AM and when it was
just me and him on the oars,
1362
01:05:36,800 --> 01:05:38,135
and I went,
"What do you think about
1363
01:05:38,235 --> 01:05:39,603
this record attempt?"
1364
01:05:39,703 --> 01:05:41,271
And he went,
"Yeah. I'm not quite sure
1365
01:05:41,371 --> 01:05:42,839
if we're going to make it.
1366
01:05:42,939 --> 01:05:44,308
I'm a bit nervous about the
weather coming in tomorrow."
1367
01:05:45,542 --> 01:05:47,011
So about every day or two,
1368
01:05:47,111 --> 01:05:49,013
we download the next file
to get the update
1369
01:05:49,113 --> 01:05:50,614
on what the weather
is going to look like.
1370
01:05:50,714 --> 01:05:52,216
Angus downloads
it one day and I say,
1371
01:05:52,316 --> 01:05:53,817
"How's it looking?"
1372
01:05:53,917 --> 01:05:55,185
"Well, it looks good
for the next few days,
1373
01:05:55,285 --> 01:05:56,353
but I'm seeing something."
1374
01:05:57,554 --> 01:05:58,922
And I said, "Well, what is it?"
1375
01:05:59,023 --> 01:06:00,490
And he says,
"That's just a lull."
1376
01:06:00,590 --> 01:06:02,026
I said,
"Okay, well, lull's okay,
1377
01:06:02,126 --> 01:06:03,827
we can power through that."
1378
01:06:03,927 --> 01:06:05,962
He says, "Yeah, but it's long."
It's like three days.
1379
01:06:06,063 --> 01:06:08,265
If we got
a 24-hour buffer right now
1380
01:06:08,365 --> 01:06:09,933
that we're working
for the world record,
1381
01:06:10,034 --> 01:06:12,802
there's no way that a lull
is going to wipe that out.
1382
01:06:13,670 --> 01:06:19,643
Then, on Friday the 13th,
everything went against us.
1383
01:06:31,921 --> 01:06:35,192
The weather got harder,
the water got thicker,
1384
01:06:35,292 --> 01:06:37,661
the wind died down,
the waves came from the north
1385
01:06:37,761 --> 01:06:40,264
and our average speed dropped
and dropped and dropped.
1386
01:06:41,365 --> 01:06:44,601
But we had flat water
and we couldn't move the boat.
1387
01:06:44,701 --> 01:06:48,205
We were going 0.7 knots
with three people rowing.
1388
01:06:48,305 --> 01:06:49,906
All of a sudden,
1389
01:06:50,006 --> 01:06:51,841
the water felt like you
were rowing through cement.
1390
01:06:56,380 --> 01:07:00,184
That lull turned
into a storm as a headwind.
1391
01:07:00,917 --> 01:07:02,919
You're going so slow
at that point
1392
01:07:03,019 --> 01:07:06,523
that the auto tiller that
helps steer you usually fails
1393
01:07:06,623 --> 01:07:08,325
because you're not
actually going fast enough
1394
01:07:08,425 --> 01:07:09,559
for it to steer.
1395
01:07:12,862 --> 01:07:14,764
Now, we're going at 0.2 knots
at the moment.
1396
01:07:16,366 --> 01:07:20,070
Which for those
of you who aren't nautical,
1397
01:07:20,170 --> 01:07:23,039
you can probably
crawl on your hands
1398
01:07:23,140 --> 01:07:24,574
and knees at around one knot.
1399
01:07:25,942 --> 01:07:27,277
It's back breaking.
1400
01:07:28,145 --> 01:07:29,346
The boat just doesn't move,
1401
01:07:29,446 --> 01:07:30,780
doesn't glide
through the water.
1402
01:07:32,482 --> 01:07:34,984
And worst of all is
1403
01:07:35,085 --> 01:07:37,587
it's a repeat
of what happened last year.
1404
01:07:40,023 --> 01:07:43,527
To have it taken away again
because of weather,
1405
01:07:43,627 --> 01:07:45,362
because of something
that's outside your control
1406
01:07:45,462 --> 01:07:46,896
was just heartbreaking.
1407
01:07:53,270 --> 01:07:55,105
The waves are coming in
from every single direction.
1408
01:07:55,205 --> 01:07:57,474
I mean,
the sea was so confused.
1409
01:07:58,442 --> 01:08:00,177
We're not even going
half-knot forwards,
1410
01:08:00,277 --> 01:08:01,945
we're getting blown backwards.
1411
01:08:03,547 --> 01:08:05,915
Angus came out of the cabin
and he said,
1412
01:08:06,916 --> 01:08:10,654
"Get the pair anchor out."
And I was like, "No."
1413
01:08:11,755 --> 01:08:15,659
That meant that we had
been beaten by the elements.
1414
01:08:15,759 --> 01:08:18,695
We could no longer maintain
what we were doing.
1415
01:08:20,597 --> 01:08:24,334
It-- it's almost not
fair how hard we're pushing
1416
01:08:24,434 --> 01:08:26,203
and how dedicated
we've been to this
1417
01:08:26,303 --> 01:08:29,973
and we've done everything right,
rowed as hard as we can.
1418
01:08:30,073 --> 01:08:33,577
1419
01:08:33,677 --> 01:08:38,782
I was thinking like, "God,
why do you always, always--
1420
01:08:38,882 --> 01:08:40,984
You get me,
like so close to it?
1421
01:08:41,918 --> 01:08:44,321
And why can't, just this once,
you give it to me?
1422
01:08:45,222 --> 01:08:46,456
Like, give me my dream
1423
01:08:46,556 --> 01:08:50,260
and give me what
I worked so hard for.
1424
01:08:59,102 --> 01:09:00,804
And that's the point
when I was like,
1425
01:09:02,172 --> 01:09:04,040
I was so angry.
1426
01:09:08,044 --> 01:09:09,379
And it just felt like
1427
01:09:09,479 --> 01:09:11,648
it was gone,
slipping through our hands.
1428
01:09:11,748 --> 01:09:15,619
1429
01:09:15,719 --> 01:09:18,822
When I thought
we aren't going to make it,
1430
01:09:18,922 --> 01:09:21,758
I couldn't help but
think back to the year before.
1431
01:09:23,627 --> 01:09:27,063
It was the day before
the evacuation of Nick
1432
01:09:27,163 --> 01:09:30,133
and I met Tom
on the deck of the boat.
1433
01:09:31,868 --> 01:09:33,503
I was sitting
towards the boat cabin
1434
01:09:33,603 --> 01:09:35,905
and I was thinking,
the race was over for us.
1435
01:09:36,005 --> 01:09:38,342
All the prep, all the families,
1436
01:09:38,442 --> 01:09:41,311
it's going to go down to,
unfortunately, waste.
1437
01:09:41,411 --> 01:09:44,180
And I-- I did not
think there was an option.
1438
01:09:44,981 --> 01:09:48,151
So then Tom says,
"J, just come with us.
1439
01:09:48,252 --> 01:09:50,119
We can't do this by ourselves."
1440
01:09:51,488 --> 01:09:55,625
And I say, "Yes, we can.
This is possible to do."
1441
01:09:56,726 --> 01:09:59,496
And I said,
"Think about the glory
1442
01:09:59,596 --> 01:10:02,165
that you could do
two man rowing a boat
1443
01:10:02,266 --> 01:10:04,067
that's supposed
to be rowed by four
1444
01:10:04,167 --> 01:10:06,002
across the Atlantic Ocean."
1445
01:10:07,036 --> 01:10:08,272
These were
the reasons why I knew
1446
01:10:08,372 --> 01:10:10,240
I wasn't getting off this boat.
1447
01:10:10,340 --> 01:10:12,642
But in the end,
those weren't Tom's reasons.
1448
01:10:14,010 --> 01:10:15,245
He's one of my best friends.
1449
01:10:15,345 --> 01:10:17,180
He's like a big brother to me.
1450
01:10:18,248 --> 01:10:20,016
So, I wouldn't
have left him behind.
1451
01:10:20,517 --> 01:10:22,252
And he said,
"J, I'm not going to let you
1452
01:10:22,352 --> 01:10:23,387
do this on your own."
1453
01:10:24,421 --> 01:10:27,223
I know how scared Tom was
to say that.
1454
01:10:27,324 --> 01:10:28,892
And he knew when that boat left,
1455
01:10:28,992 --> 01:10:31,027
when that sailboat left,
he had no-- nowhere else to go.
1456
01:10:31,127 --> 01:10:32,862
He was stuck
with me in this boat
1457
01:10:32,962 --> 01:10:34,431
and he said he
was going to do it.
1458
01:10:34,531 --> 01:10:36,032
And he was very, very scared.
1459
01:10:39,035 --> 01:10:40,970
About a week after,
we had had the evacuation,
1460
01:10:41,070 --> 01:10:42,606
about a week of us struggling,
1461
01:10:42,706 --> 01:10:45,542
rowing a boat that's too
big for us, too heavy for us,
1462
01:10:45,642 --> 01:10:47,010
it's manhandling us
1463
01:10:47,110 --> 01:10:49,078
and the nights
that are just punishing.
1464
01:10:49,178 --> 01:10:51,748
1465
01:10:55,118 --> 01:10:57,454
I think we wanted
to just chuck it in,
1466
01:10:57,554 --> 01:10:58,755
just be done with it.
1467
01:10:59,556 --> 01:11:02,225
And I think right then,
Tom comes out,
1468
01:11:02,326 --> 01:11:04,594
the first thing he says when
he gets out of the cabin is,
1469
01:11:05,329 --> 01:11:06,763
"Well, what do you want
for breakfast?"
1470
01:11:06,863 --> 01:11:08,565
Which-- which to me
was like, "What are you--
1471
01:11:08,665 --> 01:11:10,133
Out of all
the things you could say,
1472
01:11:10,233 --> 01:11:11,768
why do you ask me
what I want for breakfast?"
1473
01:11:11,868 --> 01:11:13,603
But there was a complete
mind shift right there.
1474
01:11:14,304 --> 01:11:16,740
And instead of saying,
"What do I want for breakfast?
1475
01:11:16,840 --> 01:11:19,008
I just had
the worst night of my life."
1476
01:11:19,108 --> 01:11:21,110
I thought about it, I said,
"What do I want for breakfast?"
1477
01:11:21,210 --> 01:11:22,912
And I said, "I think
I want chicken risotto."
1478
01:11:24,080 --> 01:11:25,582
I was just kind
of going with it.
1479
01:11:25,682 --> 01:11:27,617
He said, "All right,
you want a coffee?"
1480
01:11:27,717 --> 01:11:29,118
I said, "Yeah, I want coffee."
1481
01:11:29,218 --> 01:11:30,820
He says, "You want cream in it?"
1482
01:11:30,920 --> 01:11:32,389
I said, "Yeah,
put the hazelnut creamer in it.
1483
01:11:32,489 --> 01:11:34,257
What are you going
to have for breakfast?"
1484
01:11:34,358 --> 01:11:35,592
An he says, "I'm thinking
about spaghetti Bolognese."
1485
01:11:39,329 --> 01:11:41,431
So we decided to take
30 minutes off the oars,
1486
01:11:41,531 --> 01:11:42,699
not rowing.
1487
01:11:44,267 --> 01:11:45,935
That was the worst thing to do.
1488
01:11:46,035 --> 01:11:48,071
But we took 30 minutes that
morning and we ate our food.
1489
01:11:48,972 --> 01:11:52,241
We sat there, face-to-face,
eating our food,
1490
01:11:52,342 --> 01:11:54,243
drinking our coffee,
30 minutes,
1491
01:11:54,344 --> 01:11:58,648
and instead of complaining
about our miserable plight,
1492
01:11:58,748 --> 01:12:00,617
we started laughing about it.
1493
01:12:00,717 --> 01:12:02,085
"Oh, you guys, you should've
seen what happened last night."
1494
01:12:02,185 --> 01:12:03,720
"I had a flying fish
hit me right in the face."
1495
01:12:03,820 --> 01:12:04,921
"Are you kidding me?"
1496
01:12:05,021 --> 01:12:06,423
A flying fish hit you in the--"
1497
01:12:06,523 --> 01:12:07,924
And we're sharing these stories
and now we're laughing
1498
01:12:08,024 --> 01:12:09,393
and we're joking about stuff.
1499
01:12:10,159 --> 01:12:11,495
And then the next morning,
1500
01:12:11,595 --> 01:12:13,096
we decided to take
that 30 minutes again.
1501
01:12:19,302 --> 01:12:20,570
It became our ritual.
1502
01:12:20,670 --> 01:12:22,539
Those 30 minutes
is what we lived for.
1503
01:12:22,639 --> 01:12:24,741
Every day, at least
we had those 30 minutes.
1504
01:12:24,841 --> 01:12:26,510
Couldn't wait
for those 30 minutes.
1505
01:12:26,610 --> 01:12:28,545
Yeah. Tom comes up
for the camera now.
1506
01:12:28,645 --> 01:12:29,879
He's been sleeping
for the last two hours.
1507
01:12:29,979 --> 01:12:31,948
1508
01:12:32,048 --> 01:12:35,151
It was one of the things
we would not give up on,
1509
01:12:35,251 --> 01:12:36,486
no matter what happens.
1510
01:12:36,586 --> 01:12:37,921
If Ian called us and he said,
1511
01:12:38,021 --> 01:12:40,223
"Guys, 30 more minutes
of rowing a day,
1512
01:12:40,323 --> 01:12:41,925
you will pass
a couple more boats."
1513
01:12:42,025 --> 01:12:44,494
We would say,
"We'll probably not pass them."
1514
01:12:50,634 --> 01:12:52,869
And we never
sacrificed those 30 minutes,
1515
01:12:52,969 --> 01:12:55,271
no matter what happens,
we always took those 30 minutes.
1516
01:12:55,371 --> 01:12:57,974
Those 30 minutes
ended up being what saved us.
1517
01:13:01,310 --> 01:13:02,846
Because those 30 minutes
1518
01:13:02,946 --> 01:13:07,283
were continually recommitting
ourselves to each other.
1519
01:13:10,620 --> 01:13:12,856
We answered the question
of why we're doing this.
1520
01:13:14,223 --> 01:13:15,391
And we kept going.
1521
01:13:15,992 --> 01:13:18,261
And I'm glad we did keep going.
1522
01:13:29,673 --> 01:13:31,808
And so
that's what I was thinking of
1523
01:13:31,908 --> 01:13:34,578
as the team and I were
sitting there demoralized
1524
01:13:34,678 --> 01:13:37,346
and Angus and I were trying
to figure out what to do next.
1525
01:13:39,483 --> 01:13:42,351
And so we decided, I'm going
to pull the pair anchor in
1526
01:13:42,452 --> 01:13:43,853
and try rowing.
1527
01:13:49,158 --> 01:13:51,628
And I'm hand steering there
and all of a sudden,
1528
01:13:51,728 --> 01:13:53,897
I see out around
the corner of my eye,
1529
01:13:53,997 --> 01:13:57,701
"I'm like, J, J,
look over there."
1530
01:13:59,068 --> 01:14:02,205
There was just a little fin
coming up behind the boat.
1531
01:14:03,339 --> 01:14:05,875
I'm like, "J, it's a shark.
That's definitely a shark."
1532
01:14:16,953 --> 01:14:19,923
We're all soaking wet.
We're silent, we're demoralized.
1533
01:14:20,957 --> 01:14:22,626
And J's there,
1534
01:14:22,726 --> 01:14:26,129
like a little kid leaning off
the side of the boat.
1535
01:14:26,229 --> 01:14:27,697
He's got a bag
1536
01:14:27,797 --> 01:14:30,066
of one of our dehydrated meals,
beef broccoli.
1537
01:14:30,166 --> 01:14:31,868
And he's sprinkling it out
1538
01:14:31,968 --> 01:14:34,604
like he's feeding
a little goldfish in a bowl.
1539
01:14:34,704 --> 01:14:37,574
And we just started
cracking up at that point.
1540
01:14:37,674 --> 01:14:39,643
Like, the lowest
point in the race.
1541
01:14:39,743 --> 01:14:42,045
1542
01:14:42,145 --> 01:14:45,414
What a nice, little
rainy day on the Atlantic.
1543
01:14:47,083 --> 01:14:48,952
By that afternoon,
the weather cleared.
1544
01:14:49,052 --> 01:14:51,020
The shark found
something better to do.
1545
01:14:51,988 --> 01:14:54,323
The Sun started coming out
right just about sunset.
1546
01:14:55,358 --> 01:14:58,094
And then slowly,
the waves died down there again,
1547
01:14:58,194 --> 01:15:00,697
so we were going one knot.
1548
01:15:00,797 --> 01:15:03,166
And you get
a little bit more positive.
1549
01:15:03,266 --> 01:15:06,202
And then suddenly,
we were going 1.5 knots.
1550
01:15:06,302 --> 01:15:09,105
And then
we're out of Friday the 13th.
1551
01:15:09,205 --> 01:15:10,907
We're into Saturday.
1552
01:15:11,007 --> 01:15:13,643
And Sunday, we're back
to three knots again.
1553
01:15:16,145 --> 01:15:18,247
I crawl in the cabin
to do the math.
1554
01:15:18,347 --> 01:15:21,985
We've got five days left
1555
01:15:22,085 --> 01:15:23,587
until the expiration
of the world record,
1556
01:15:23,687 --> 01:15:25,321
almost to the hour.
1557
01:15:25,421 --> 01:15:28,592
And we've got almost to
the mile, 400 miles left to go,
1558
01:15:28,692 --> 01:15:31,460
which means that
we had 80-mile days
1559
01:15:31,561 --> 01:15:32,962
to achieve for
the next five days.
1560
01:15:33,062 --> 01:15:34,497
To put that in perspective.
1561
01:15:34,598 --> 01:15:37,366
70-mile days,
if you average 70 miles a day,
1562
01:15:37,466 --> 01:15:38,702
that's a world record speed.
1563
01:15:38,802 --> 01:15:41,104
75-mile days is incredible,
1564
01:15:41,204 --> 01:15:44,574
which makes 80-mile days
just short of a miracle.
1565
01:15:44,674 --> 01:15:47,076
And to have
to string five of those.
1566
01:15:48,878 --> 01:15:50,413
It seems impossible.
1567
01:15:52,281 --> 01:15:53,817
I had myself a little--
1568
01:15:53,917 --> 01:15:56,452
a little cry right there
in the cabin by myself.
1569
01:16:03,026 --> 01:16:04,527
I opened the cabin door
1570
01:16:04,628 --> 01:16:06,329
and I've got three
expectant faces looking at me,
1571
01:16:06,429 --> 01:16:07,964
waiting to hear
what that number is.
1572
01:16:09,899 --> 01:16:14,003
The first person that spoke
was Matt who said,
1573
01:16:14,103 --> 01:16:17,774
"Oh, thank God, I thought
you were going to say 100."
1574
01:16:18,675 --> 01:16:21,845
He says,
"This team can do 80-mile days.
1575
01:16:22,879 --> 01:16:25,414
The second person
to say something was Alex,
1576
01:16:26,482 --> 01:16:28,384
who really
struggled that night to row,
1577
01:16:28,484 --> 01:16:30,787
was literally falling
asleep on the oar, says,
1578
01:16:30,887 --> 01:16:33,089
"I'll do
whatever it takes, Skip.
1579
01:16:33,189 --> 01:16:35,258
I'll row all night
if I have to."
1580
01:16:36,192 --> 01:16:38,261
And then Angus, who was
right in front of me, rowing,
1581
01:16:38,361 --> 01:16:42,031
said, "This is the reason
why we joined teams.
1582
01:16:42,766 --> 01:16:46,402
We wanted the best chance
at breaking a world record.
1583
01:16:46,502 --> 01:16:49,238
It isn't a great chance,
but it's ours."
1584
01:16:50,840 --> 01:16:54,744
The response by my teammates
was the culmination
1585
01:16:54,844 --> 01:16:57,080
of everything
that I had ever achieved
1586
01:16:57,180 --> 01:17:01,985
at Sonoma and Vesper
and with Tom in the first row.
1587
01:17:03,619 --> 01:17:05,588
I knew that I'd done
what I had come out to do.
1588
01:17:05,689 --> 01:17:09,993
I had put together a team
that could do the impossible.
1589
01:17:11,394 --> 01:17:13,663
Everyone was about each other.
1590
01:17:13,763 --> 01:17:15,699
It ceased to become
about the world record.
1591
01:17:15,799 --> 01:17:19,402
It became about
the men in the boat.
1592
01:17:19,502 --> 01:17:22,505
1593
01:17:22,605 --> 01:17:27,343
1594
01:17:27,443 --> 01:17:32,916
Up to that point,
our best day was 81 miles.
1595
01:17:33,950 --> 01:17:37,186
And our worst day
was, like, 20 miles.
1596
01:17:38,287 --> 01:17:41,791
So Saturday,
we rowed two hours on,
1597
01:17:41,891 --> 01:17:45,628
three up, 40 minutes off,
the length of the day.
1598
01:17:46,796 --> 01:17:48,832
And that was
the hardest day physically
1599
01:17:48,932 --> 01:17:50,233
I've ever had in my life.
1600
01:17:51,100 --> 01:17:53,602
You know, your bum's
sore, your hands are sore.
1601
01:17:53,703 --> 01:17:56,840
You haven't got time
to really stop and have a rest.
1602
01:17:56,940 --> 01:17:59,108
So the Great Depression is over.
1603
01:17:59,208 --> 01:18:02,178
We are now going about
2.5 to 3 knots.
1604
01:18:05,281 --> 01:18:07,817
And that day we did 79 miles.
1605
01:18:10,086 --> 01:18:11,855
Leaving everything out there.
1606
01:18:11,955 --> 01:18:14,323
We didn't quite get
what we needed that day.
1607
01:18:16,793 --> 01:18:20,296
Day two,
smashed it with 92 miles.
1608
01:18:22,165 --> 01:18:25,634
Every stroke, pushing ourselves
as hard as possible.
1609
01:18:26,602 --> 01:18:29,405
My thought was, "No way
can we actually do this."
1610
01:18:29,505 --> 01:18:33,843
Day three,
just cruising, rowing hard,
1611
01:18:33,943 --> 01:18:34,978
hitting four knots.
1612
01:18:35,979 --> 01:18:37,814
We did 91 miles.
1613
01:18:38,948 --> 01:18:41,150
Everyone was starting
to stick their hand up and say,
1614
01:18:41,250 --> 01:18:43,219
"Yeah, I'll
row an extra shift."
1615
01:18:43,319 --> 01:18:44,854
Matt was sticking
his head out in five minutes,
1616
01:18:44,954 --> 01:18:46,622
"Yeah. Get me on the oars."
1617
01:18:48,324 --> 01:18:50,726
Day four,
weather slows down a bit,
1618
01:18:50,827 --> 01:18:52,395
we still hit 88 miles.
1619
01:18:53,262 --> 01:18:55,164
The ocean was throwing
everything it had at us.
1620
01:18:55,264 --> 01:18:57,100
And it just-- it wasn't enough.
1621
01:18:57,200 --> 01:18:58,835
It wasn't enough
to break our spirit.
1622
01:19:01,805 --> 01:19:04,207
The sun came up on Wednesday,
the last day,
1623
01:19:04,307 --> 01:19:07,911
and uh, 20+ miles ahead
of the pace
1624
01:19:08,011 --> 01:19:10,613
that everyone thought
was impossible to hold.
1625
01:19:10,713 --> 01:19:13,817
And we were looking down
the barrel of a 50 mile a day,
1626
01:19:13,917 --> 01:19:15,084
50 miles to go.
1627
01:19:18,621 --> 01:19:20,223
And then we realized, right,
1628
01:19:20,323 --> 01:19:23,626
we're actually 12 hours ahead
of what the record is.
1629
01:19:30,099 --> 01:19:31,767
We all met on deck.
1630
01:19:31,868 --> 01:19:35,038
We pulled out
a flask of whiskey.
1631
01:19:36,239 --> 01:19:37,540
Is this actually recording?
1632
01:19:37,640 --> 01:19:39,375
-There is the thing.
-Yeah.
1633
01:19:43,046 --> 01:19:47,150
Okay. It's the last night
here on the American Spirit.
1634
01:19:48,651 --> 01:19:49,986
It has been a true honor
1635
01:19:50,086 --> 01:19:52,455
to share this experience
with you.
1636
01:19:52,555 --> 01:19:54,858
There's more ships
like this, mate.
1637
01:19:54,958 --> 01:19:58,761
There are big ships,
but no ships' like friendships.
1638
01:19:58,862 --> 01:20:01,030
- Brilliant.
-Here, here.
1639
01:20:03,032 --> 01:20:04,934
I am eternally grateful
1640
01:20:05,034 --> 01:20:07,536
to have shared this
opportunity with all you guys.
1641
01:20:07,636 --> 01:20:10,373
Here we are,
checking off boxes,
1642
01:20:10,473 --> 01:20:12,175
winning the race by 200 miles
1643
01:20:13,542 --> 01:20:14,978
and setting the course record.
1644
01:20:15,945 --> 01:20:18,747
And if all goes well
in the next 24 hours,
1645
01:20:18,848 --> 01:20:20,183
setting the world record.
1646
01:20:20,283 --> 01:20:21,784
It can't be done
without a team like this.
1647
01:20:21,885 --> 01:20:23,586
So, cheers to you, guys.
1648
01:20:23,686 --> 01:20:25,021
Thank you, Skipper.
1649
01:20:28,724 --> 01:20:30,626
"The motivation
to strive forward
1650
01:20:30,726 --> 01:20:33,462
in any endeavor
or personal journey comes,
1651
01:20:33,562 --> 01:20:36,299
quite simply, from passion.
1652
01:20:36,399 --> 01:20:38,201
The word passion
actually comes from
1653
01:20:38,301 --> 01:20:41,037
the Latin word
that means 'to suffer.'
1654
01:20:42,071 --> 01:20:45,741
Every now and then, you'll have
to suffer for the things
1655
01:20:45,841 --> 01:20:47,510
that are important to you.
1656
01:20:48,711 --> 01:20:51,747
The inevitable failures
and setbacks are not easy.
1657
01:20:53,116 --> 01:20:54,783
At times,
they cut painfully deep,
1658
01:20:54,884 --> 01:20:57,053
and you'll be tempted to
turn your back on the challenge
1659
01:20:57,153 --> 01:21:01,024
because that seems vast,
overwhelming or unattainable.
1660
01:21:01,757 --> 01:21:03,459
Whatever your ocean is,
1661
01:21:04,860 --> 01:21:09,732
strive with a spirit
of excellence to cross it.
1662
01:21:14,003 --> 01:21:16,105
If you can take
those harrowing blows
1663
01:21:17,440 --> 01:21:18,774
and come across
1664
01:21:20,643 --> 01:21:24,480
with your zeal for life
still intact,
1665
01:21:25,748 --> 01:21:27,883
you'll have not
only a quiet confidence,
1666
01:21:27,984 --> 01:21:30,653
but also a sense of humility
1667
01:21:30,753 --> 01:21:35,524
because the journey, like
the sea, is bigger than you.
1668
01:21:40,563 --> 01:21:42,731
Your ocean
is there to define you."
1669
01:21:59,048 --> 01:22:02,051
I was extremely excited
to step on dry land,
1670
01:22:02,151 --> 01:22:04,753
eat some good food,
have a shower, stretch.
1671
01:22:05,588 --> 01:22:08,524
See my girlfriend.
See my family. And--
1672
01:22:10,593 --> 01:22:12,228
But I'll miss this,
1673
01:22:12,328 --> 01:22:16,599
as much as I complained
over the last 30-odd days,
1674
01:22:17,666 --> 01:22:19,868
I love the simple life.
1675
01:22:19,969 --> 01:22:23,906
Um, I love pushing myself,
pushing the limits and...
1676
01:22:25,274 --> 01:22:27,510
it'll be something that
I will really, really miss.
1677
01:22:27,610 --> 01:22:33,782
And... I'm sorry
for saying it, Grace,
1678
01:22:33,882 --> 01:22:36,552
but I'll probably be
back here again at some stage.
1679
01:22:38,954 --> 01:22:40,223
Oh, damn it.
1680
01:22:42,658 --> 01:22:45,828
1681
01:22:45,928 --> 01:22:50,866
1682
01:22:57,440 --> 01:22:59,808
For my entire athletic career,
1683
01:22:59,908 --> 01:23:03,212
I was obsessed
with being the best.
1684
01:23:03,312 --> 01:23:05,981
Not having a wall
full of silver medals anymore.
1685
01:23:06,082 --> 01:23:10,653
And it took rowing across
the Atlantic Ocean twice
1686
01:23:11,720 --> 01:23:13,922
to finally realize
that once I did win,
1687
01:23:14,023 --> 01:23:17,326
it had nothing to do
with what color the medal was
1688
01:23:17,426 --> 01:23:21,764
and everything to do with
the people that I did it with.
1689
01:23:27,703 --> 01:23:30,739
It was about
the small, authentic moments
1690
01:23:30,839 --> 01:23:32,241
that you share
with your teammates
1691
01:23:32,341 --> 01:23:34,177
in the middle of the Atlantic.
1692
01:23:36,379 --> 01:23:40,583
It was about the highs,
but it was also about the lows.
1693
01:23:44,019 --> 01:23:46,555
No one will ever really know,
except for the four of us,
1694
01:23:47,223 --> 01:23:48,424
what it was like out there.
1695
01:23:48,524 --> 01:23:49,858
No one will know.
1696
01:23:49,958 --> 01:23:51,694
And sometimes you
don't want to let that go.
1697
01:23:54,930 --> 01:23:57,400
For a split second, you don't
want to get off the boat.
1698
01:23:59,468 --> 01:24:04,773
1699
01:24:07,276 --> 01:24:10,613
35 days,
14 hours and three minutes.
1700
01:24:10,713 --> 01:24:12,448
1701
01:24:12,548 --> 01:24:16,819
With that they win the race
and also set a new world record
1702
01:24:16,919 --> 01:24:19,388
-for crossing the Atlantic.
1703
01:24:21,124 --> 01:24:23,226
- Hip, hip.
-[crowd] Hooray!
1704
01:24:23,326 --> 01:24:24,893
- Hip, hip.
- Hooray!
1705
01:24:24,993 --> 01:24:26,629
- Hip, hip.
-Hooray!
1706
01:24:36,639 --> 01:24:38,774
I was so proud of the boys
1707
01:24:38,874 --> 01:24:41,277
and did not know that
we had it in us to do that.
1708
01:24:47,116 --> 01:24:50,419
I now feel a huge connection
and increased bond with Angus
1709
01:24:50,519 --> 01:24:53,989
and huge, huge respect
for Jason in that
1710
01:24:54,089 --> 01:24:57,059
and I refer-- Would refer
to them as my brothers.
1711
01:24:59,328 --> 01:25:00,863
I love those guys.
1712
01:25:00,963 --> 01:25:03,098
Angus and Alex and Jason.
1713
01:25:03,199 --> 01:25:08,304
And we've done something
that's rare in today's world
1714
01:25:08,404 --> 01:25:10,973
where we built ourselves up
1715
01:25:11,073 --> 01:25:14,777
to something greater than
each of our individual parts.
1716
01:25:35,164 --> 01:25:36,699
Now, I'm a father
1717
01:25:37,900 --> 01:25:40,803
and that pretty much
changes everything.
1718
01:25:42,104 --> 01:25:45,908
It fills me with
new purpose, grace,
1719
01:25:47,142 --> 01:25:49,878
and it also adds
a level of complexity.
1720
01:25:49,978 --> 01:25:52,481
The sacrifice
now that I'll be making
1721
01:25:53,115 --> 01:25:55,751
in any future adventures
has gone way up.
1722
01:25:56,785 --> 01:26:00,456
And yet, I know
I won't stop doing them.
1723
01:26:02,991 --> 01:26:05,294
Me and my son have such a bond.
1724
01:26:05,394 --> 01:26:07,963
Um. I'm sorry.
1725
01:26:09,798 --> 01:26:11,267
And I think--
1726
01:26:11,367 --> 01:26:13,536
I think the struggles
have really helped him,
1727
01:26:13,636 --> 01:26:16,805
because I think
he'll be able to show Tristan
1728
01:26:16,905 --> 01:26:22,110
um, how much you can learn
and change from those things.
1729
01:26:22,211 --> 01:26:24,680
And they're necessary-- Sorry.
1730
01:26:26,582 --> 01:26:27,883
To grow.
1731
01:26:28,684 --> 01:26:32,154
Um, he's a wonderful father.
1732
01:26:35,924 --> 01:26:37,092
Going back to the question
1733
01:26:37,192 --> 01:26:38,527
of why do people
do these things?
1734
01:26:38,627 --> 01:26:40,028
Why do people cross oceans?
1735
01:26:41,597 --> 01:26:42,998
We've heard about this saying
1736
01:26:43,098 --> 01:26:45,268
it's not how many
times you get knocked down,
1737
01:26:45,368 --> 01:26:47,069
it's how many
times you get back up.
1738
01:26:47,169 --> 01:26:49,104
But that is only half of it.
1739
01:26:50,906 --> 01:26:54,209
You must spend time
on the ground understanding
1740
01:26:54,310 --> 01:26:55,711
and learning how you got there
1741
01:26:55,811 --> 01:26:57,380
so that when
you do get back up,
1742
01:26:58,481 --> 01:27:00,616
you're a smarter,
tougher, harder,
1743
01:27:00,716 --> 01:27:02,585
stronger target to knock down.
1744
01:27:04,219 --> 01:27:10,426
That is why we keep doing
things even though we lose,
1745
01:27:10,526 --> 01:27:12,094
because we learn.
1746
01:27:12,194 --> 01:27:15,898
125374
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