Tag Archives: rowing

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Row diary: Challenging times + medical update

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It’s now been nearly two years since I’ve embarked on this project and I must say it’s getting quite tough – physically and mentally.

On the physical side, I’m training twice or three times a day for anything between two and four hours. Sometimes, I do 24-hour training sessions, rowing two-hours on, two hours off, and in a few weeks I’ll do a 48-hour indoor row.

I guess the body of a 50-year-old can only take so much, but I can’t really afford to slow down. I also need to make sure that on 1 March 2021, I do not leave on my trip already exhausted.

Having said that, I found out I have carpal tunnel syndrome in both my wrists, which means that a decision may be imposed on me. So getting carpal tunnel now may end up being a blessing in disguise.

The Atlantic crossing leaves Portugal on 1 March 2021

Hands up

There are nerves in your wrists that lead to your fingers. If these nerves are squeezed or pinched, electrical impulses don’t get to your fingers as fast as they should.

Today I went to the doctor and unsurprisingly he found that the left hand is not doing very well. The right is not much better.

This is not too serious, but it means I need to get a double operation to fix them. Hopefully. this will happen next week. It’s a relatively simple procedure, and I’ll have to get the hands done two days apart. Not quite sure why.

Once done, I need to take a 10-day to two-week break from intense training. That sucks, but it’s also good for my body. I guess it needs a bit of a break.

The will to go on

Mentally, it’s more challenging. I’ve been preparing for this adventure for a long time and believe I am in good shape. Then, suddenly, I started having misgivings in September.

I can’t pinpoint the exact reason why. Probably, it’s a combination of many factors – my hands being messed up, fatigue, a low response to my fundraising efforts, little inroads with my social media campaigns (actually getting nearly as many unfollows as follows), Covid-19 isolation, and the inability to travel home.

It really has taken it’s toll. It’s hard to admit, but I’m struggling. There are good days, and there are bad.

Sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat in near freak-out mode wondering what the hell I’ve got myself into. Another, I’m on top of the world. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not looking sympathy. I just need to ‘speak’ about this, even because I never had.

Despite this, I am resolute in carrying out the crossing, even if it’s the last thing I do. The determination to get to our final destination of French Guiana has not waned. Not even a little bit.

See you on the other side.

To find out more about Steve’s challenge, visit his website: www.crossrower.ch or de.crossrower.ch (German)

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Row diaries: What I learnt from my first 24-hour training row

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A few weeks ago, I did my first 24-hour training indoor row.

First few hours were fine. Then it got dark…

To be clear, the session involves rowing (indoors) for two hours, and then resting for two hours for a 24-hour period. The resting part includes eating, going to the bathroom, fixing injuries, and finding stuff on Netflix to watch.

The training mimics what I’ll experience in my 6,000km row across the Atlantic, planned for March 2021. This row will take anything between 46 and 60 days (current record for that route is just a few hours over 47 days).

My session began at 6pm and ended the same time the next day (actually, the last two hours were rest’ hours, so I really finished at 4pm). The first session was fine as my wife and kids were around, so I could chat with them and had company.

My second on shift began at 10pm, by which time is was getting dark and my wife – who was feeling poorly – had already gone to bed.

I finished my second shift at midnight. After four hours of rowing, my hands were hurting, my bum was sore, and my left elbow was also giving me cause for concern. Nothing serious though.

Silly o’clock in the morning. I’m tired

Dawn broke, and my wife and kids soon made an appearance. That was nice. I virtually didn’t sleep at all during the night. It’s not easy to sleep on a tiny mattress on the floor. I guess I must have had a maximum of two hours actual light sleep the whole night.

After my fifth shift, around midday, I managed to sleep for around 90 minutes of my two hours off period. That was nice.

The rowing itself was quite OK and the aches and sores didn’t get much worse. The only really exception was my bum. That hurt. I was glad it’s

What I learnt from the row is that eating soup right before rowing is a very bad idea, sleeping will be an issue for 24-hours (then I’ll sleep like a rock), and I have to find a way of protecting my backside (we have padding on the real boat, so this should be fine).

I think this was soon after 12pm

My hands also hurt. It seemed like my bones were made or brittle material, and some fingers went numb. It was OK while rowing, but I wonder how they will fare after days of constant rowing in wet conditions.

The most important aspect for me was the message of support I received, even at 2am. They were so vital for me to keep going. On the water, I’ll be able to receive messages, but what will really help is if people donate. Hope that happens.

If you want to know more, or if you intend donating to my causes (aww, thanks), visit www.crossrower.ch (in English and German)

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Cross Rower – where does the name come from?

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It took me some time before I came up with the name Cross Rower for my Atlantic Ocean row, and in reality the reasons are very simple.

Both my native and adoptive countries (Malta and Switzerland) have a cross as their symbol. The Maltese eight-pointed cross is a world-famous symbol that is recognizable everywhere. I always had a certain liking for this cross, to be honest, so am very happy to be associated with it.

The Swiss flag, with a white cross on a red background, is also universally known. I also have a strong connection with this country and therefore I felt that I had to have something related to the country in the name I use for the crossing.

Apart from that, I’ll be rowing across the Atlantic Ocean – the connection can’t be more obvious than that.

I was asked about whether the cross is also a religious symbol, and the answer is no. Personally, I live by Christian values – generosity, respect, love, peace, charity – because I believe it’s the right thing to do not because there is any post-death reward (I don’t believe in heaven nor hell, nor any higher being). Just to clarify, I have no issue with people who have faith – it’s just that I don’t.

Finally, the Cross Rower emblem was created using the blade of an oar as a background. The blade is made to resemble a face with the eyes taking the form of a Rannoch 45 boat – the same which I’ll be on during my crossing.

For more information on the row, visit www.crossrower.ch

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Marching on – one year to go

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March is a great month for many reasons – summer time starts, my sister celebrates her birthday, the F1 season kicks off in earnest, and everyone seems happier. It’s also exactly a year until Cross Rower takes to the seas.

That’s right – my Atlantic challenge is officially a year away. I have 365 days (give or take a day or two) to get ready to row 6,000km across the Atlantic with my five companions.

My quest started around 30 years ago with my first thoughts to row around Malta, my home country. Life intervened and nothing came of it. Now, I’m in the final 12 months of preparation to row the Atlantic Ocean.

I started training for the row in January 2018, two months after I decided to undertake this epic trip. Staring with 30 minutes of rowing every two or three days, I’m now up to a minimum of two hours training every day.

Now that I can say the row will happen ‘in less than a year’, it’s beginning to feel a bit scary. At the same time, I can’t wait to go. I can best compare it to bungee jumping – absolutely terrifying until you leap.

I’m doing the row as a personal challenge for myself, but I’m also collecting funds for three important charities. You can find out more here.

Today is also the day when Ralph Tuijn, who will skipper my trip, leaves on his 10th ocean crossing. I wish him all the very best.

Want to know more? Visit my website – www.crossrower.ch

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It’ll be ‘alright’

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It’s been two years since my brother Michael passed away.

Michael (Cuti) spent the last years of his life making sure everything was prepared for his death, fighting hard, giving people hope when there was none, and keeping his spirits high.

It was a struggle, but every time I visited Malta, I was taken aback at how he kept on going despite what he was going through.

In this same spirit, I will be taking on a challenge of my own – I’ll be rowing the Atlantic ocean in exactly a year to raise money for three charities: Hospice (Malta), The Swiss Cancer League, and Terre des hommes.

If he were here, everything would be completely organized, his group of amazing friends would have been roped in to do various tasks, and he would inevitably have lists of all things that have been done, are being done, and others that have to be done in an organized folder that would put the most organized body to shame. It was annoyingly organized.

For me, it’s a bit different – all the above hasn’t been done, my lists are short and incomplete, and my organization is somewhat chaotic.

I guess my brother was the one who got the brain – I obviously got the dashing looks…

OK, now that you have stopped laughing, we need to get serious.

I need your help. No, you don’t need to come and row with me. What I ask is that you visit my website – www.crossrower.ch – and start donating to the three organizations I’m collecting money for on my brother’s behalf.

If you do that, it’ll be ‘alright’.

Another thing – once you’ve done that, share the link and ask your friends and family, colleagues and neighbours, and anyone else you may know to do the same. If you do only one of these two, it’s also cool.

I can’t stress enough that charities get 100% of the money you donate, not 50% or 60% – a full 100%. You will not pay for me to go ‘on holiday’ across the Atlantic (I’m paying that myself).

Who am I rowing for?

The Hospice (Malta) are a bunch of great people who provide palliative care. They help people who have friends or relatives who suffer from cancer and other end-of-life illnesses, such as respiratory, renal, liver and cardiac, and make sure the patient is as comfortable as possible. They also help families get through what is a very difficult time. Seeing them in action was an inspiration for me to do something to help others.

The Swiss Cancer League has centres around Switzerland, my adoptive home, and they provide information, advice and moral support to cancer sufferers and their families. It’s amazing what they do, and both patients and their families benefit immensly from their service, even if it’s just a friendly voice at the other end of a phone call.

Terre des hommes is a Swiss NGO dedicated to helping and protecting children in need worldwide. I’d like to do something to help kids who need help. Specifically, the money raised will help kids in Syrian children displaced by the war and living in the neighbouring countries Lebanon and Jordan. A tiny contribution from many will help these kids have a childhood – like most of us in the west have had. Now, more than ever, is a good time to donate as in the past three months alone, more than half a million kids were displaced because of the violence in Syria.

My goal is to collect €10,000 for each – it may be ambitious, but so is rowing across an ocean. I’ll take care of the rowing – I hope that you help me take care of the donations (don’t make me get down on my knees…).

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World Cancer Day 2020

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There were a staggering 17 million new cases of cancer reported in 2018, and an estimated 10 million die from the illness annually. And the number is expected to increase.

This is why 4 February is World Cancer Day, a day in which to raise awareness on and promote education about cancer to help save millions of preventable deaths.

I can safely assume that everyone reading this has had someone – a partner, friend, brother, sister, mother, father, neighbour, colleague, or relative – who has or had cancer. And we’ve all lost loved ones to the illness.

Often, people beat cancer. Too many people, however, don’t make it.

Nearly two years ago, my brother passed away after battling a brain tumour for what seemed like an eternity. To honour his life, I will be rowing across the Atlantic Ocean – a 6,000km trip – to raise funds for charity.

The charities* include the Swiss Cancer League. Their centres around Switzerland provide information, advice and moral support to cancer sufferers and their families. It’s amazing what they do, and both patients and their families benefit immensly from their service.

These videos can help you understand how people with cancer view their work:

Long version

Short version

I’ll also be rowing for the Hospice Malta. The Hospice helps people who have friends or relatives who suffer from cancer and other end-of-life illnesses, such as respiratory, renal, liver and cardiac, and make sure the patient is as comfortable as possible.

The World Cancer Day is a call to action for everyone to take action, however small, to make a positive change.

If interested, you can visit my website – www.crossrower.ch – to make donation (a link for a donation to the Swiss Cancer League will soon be available). I strongly encourage you to do so. If not, please go to your preferred charity and give them whatever you can – every little helps.

* The third charity is called Terre des hommes

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My name is Cross Rower

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One dark and wet November evening, just over one year ago, a mundane decision kicked off what is most likely to be one of the biggest and hardest challenges I’ll ever face – both mentally and physically.

First, I’ll take a few steps back to February two years ago when my brother Mike passed away.

Like most in a similar position, the events of that Saturday morning left a deep impact on me. I was left with an unfillable void. As I was saying my final farewells to Mike, I decide that I had to do something in his honour, and in the process help organisation who do so much work to help others in their time of need.

The only problem was I had no idea what to do.

Fast forward to November 2018.

While looking for a TV programme to help me with my German, I stumbled across a film with four Swiss guys rowing across an ocean. Rowing an ocean. Bloody crazy.

The Swiss Motion team were packed onto an eight-metre by 1.5-metre boat and in just over 30 days they rowed nearly 5,000km (3,000 nautical miles) across the Atlantic Ocean.

Swiss Motion competed in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge – this year, 35 teams are competing. Not sure if it’s a record, but it’s quite a lot.

The 2019 edition is currently underway and the first team is expected to make landfall right now.

I can’t do the Talisker Atlantic Challenge just yet – it’s beyond my financial means. But I decided to row the Atlantic anyway. I’m joining adventurer Ralph Tuijn (photo above, left) on a trip from Faro in Portugal to Cayenne in French Guiana in South America.

It’s a 6,000km trip where a team of six – including me – will row 24 hours a day, two hours on and two off. The aim is to reach our destination in less than 48 days. The current record for this stretch is 48 days, 4 hours and 30 minutes.

It’s one of the toughest challenges there are, and to break the record, we will need lady luck to be on our side with good trade winds and fair weather.

I have been preparing for this challenge for just over a year. I’ll also be joining my local rowing club to get as much on the water time as possible. Until now, I have done around 2.3 million metres, but all on an indoor rower.

The actual trip across the Atlantic leaves Portugal on 1 March 2021 and I hope to get to South America by 16 April 2021 – the day before my brother’s birthday.

This is significant because I will be collecting money for charity in my brother’s honour, among others. For more information, please visit my website: www.crossrower.ch

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103+1

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Dutch Atlantic Four, winners in 2018

As we speak, 103 people have just begun a journey that will take them 3,000 nautical miles (4,800km) across the Atlantic Ocean. Most, if not all, are doing it to raise money for different charities.

In the best of conditions, the trip can take 30 days. For solo rowers (there are seven), it’ll take much longer.

Some of these people are experienced rowers, others are relative novices and taking to the water is not something that comes natural.

All of them are determined to finish and complete the toughest challenge on earth – the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge.

To call it the toughest challenge is probably not even fair – it’s a bit harder than that, which is probably why far fewer people have rowed an ocean than climbed the Everest.

The crossing throws at you tremendous conditions. Right now, many rowers are facing four meter waves in boats that are barely double that length.

Virtually all have suffered from seasickness, broken oars, and have to come to terms with a new way of living that entails rowing for two hours and having two hours ‘off’.

When I say off, I mean they have to eat, maintain the boat, fix anything broken, eat, clean themselves (sort of), and sleep. Getting an hour’s rest is probably a luxury.

Their ‘toilet’ facilities consist of a bucket. Period. A bucket.

These rowers – because they all now deserve the title – are also taking on such a huge challenge for their own personal reasons. The best we can do for them is follow them on the tracker found on the site above. If you can, it’d be great to support their charities.

I’m also happy to see that there are three Swiss teams (from 35 in total), quite amazing from a landlocked country.  

But what about the +1?

Ralph Tuijn, an adventurer and one of only four rowers who has been at sea on a rowing boat for more than 700 days (most of which solo), is currently crossing the Atlantic to raise money for his’s daughter’s school project to build a school in The Gambia.

If you want to follow him (and he is worth following), you can do so here.

One final thing – on Christmas Day, raise a glass for the 104 people who will all be out there on the water far from their family and friends. And remember, if you have a few spare coins after all the present buying is over, help these rowers’ charities out.

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My year in running

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It was one hell of a year, at least in terms of running.

Last year saw me running 1,159.3km which I completed in 108 runs – an average of one run every three days. The average run was 9.6km that feels about right. I also ran the equivalent of 10km up and back down again.

Put all together, I ran for a total of five days and one hour – doesn’t seem that much, actually. In all this time, I burnt 119,000 calories.

My goal for 2018 was to run 1,000km, which I reached and surpassed by 10% – the goal for 2019 is 1,200km. It’s actually been a slow start to the year as I needed new running shoes (I now bought a pair, Asics Kayano 25s). The inclement weather has also made me stay indoors and only complete one run so far. I need to pick up.

As for the past three years, I completed one marathon in 2018. I also did two triathlons, which means I did a bit more running that is recorded as tri or brick training.

This year, I have a marathon planned for 24 February – it’s also the anniversary of my brother’s passing so we are using I to celebrate his life.

I have been preparing for an ultramarathon, but my latest runs left me with painful aches that made me doubt my ability to run 100km. As soon as the snow subsides, I’ll be going out for a sort of final test. If I can do 35km without too much pain, then I’ll go for it.

If not, I will continue training with the aim of completing the ultramarathon in 2020. I the meantime, I’m planning on a new sport – rowing.