62 DAYS OF ROWING ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN; INTERVIEW WITH TEAM “PACIFIC TERRIFIC”
62 DAYS OF ROWING ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN; INTERVIEW WITH TEAM “PACIFIC TERRIFIC”
Q: What made you decide to undertake this momentous journey across the Pacific?
A: “Each of the crew are adventurers at heart and love the idea of challenging ourselves and pushing our limits. Fewer than 100 people have ever rowed the Pacific Ocean, and to row 2,400 miles from Monterey to Honolulu using human power alone was as great an adventure and challenge as we could have dreamed! It was really important to us to be rowing for a greater good too, and so through the endeavour we were raising funds for Mind, a mental health charity, and awareness of the vast issue of plastic pollution so devastatingly affecting our oceans. We also hope in any way we can to inspire others to dream too and go for their goals, however seemingly great or small, and to show that with a lot of hard work and determination as well as luck, anything can be possible!”
Q: What is the most important thing you learned from this adventure?
A: “We learned so much, and we’ll continue to learn from the experience for the rest of our lives! We all had to learn how to row for starters as none of us had stepped foot on an ocean rowing boat before joining the team! Technical skills aside, we learned a huge deal about motivation, determination, resilience, facing fear and the unknown, but most importantly, team work. 62 days on a 24ft boat with 3 crew, sleep deprived and physically tested by rowing 3 hour shifts on and off 24 hours a day, simply doesn’t work unless everyone pulls together as one team. The camaraderie saw us smiling through the most challenging of times.”
Q: What was the most beautiful or touching moment you experienced on your journey?
A: “Even on the darkest, wettest, coldest of days, we found so many things to appreciate. To be so remote and immersed in the natural environment was a huge privilege. You learn to notice all of the details; the colours of the sky, the water, the reflections, the clouds, the stars and planets, the wildlife. Encounters with whales, sharks, mahi mahi, turtles, & dolphins were a great highlight, even flying fish and flying squid! We each felt so incredibly lucky to be able to experience it all, and it reaffirmed our passion for and commitment to protecting our natural world and the incredible creatures within in.”
Q: What was your experience like with Kōkua Sun Care?
A: “We were so pleased and grateful to be supported by Kōkua Sun Care as a Hawaiian business championing the use of natural ingredients and committed to the environment. The natural zinc sunscreen was fantastic to use, easy to apply, left our skin feeling great and more importantly lasted really well despite the elements throwing everything at our salt water and rain soaked bodies, and crucially, whilst being completely exposed to intense sun, not once did any of us burn during our two months on the ocean! So a huge thank you Kōkua Sun Care, for all your support, and such a fantastic product!”
Look out for a short film about their row currently in production and premiering in March 2019 at the Four Seasons Film Festival in the UK, and they hope overseas afterwards, too!
Follow them on Instagram @pacificterrific
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