Rugby-star-turned-rowing reflects on Atlantic crossing

After nine weeks in a tortuous battle against the harshest elements, totally dependent on his meticulous preparation and his own wits, solo Atlantic rower Damian Browne has discovered the most important lesson in life: Never give up.

The second one is how incredible a cheese burger can taste after endless dehydrated food.

The former Connacht and Leinster rugby player from Renmore in Galway City had an awesome experience with a whale, was capsized twice in six hours, sustained a nasty gash to his head and lost the power to foot steer which necessitated even more rowing during his 64 days at sea for the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

Damian completed the phenomenal 4,800 kilometre route from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean last Thursday with an emotional reunion with his mom Mary, dad Joe, sister Gillian and brother Andrew.

After two years of preparation, rowing alone up and down the west coast, the second row player reveals to the Tribune how he very nearly did not make it past the first day.

“Everything came crashing down on day one. I was really diligent in my preparation and I always think I can rely on my very physical stature so I wasn’t prepared physically and mentally when my body went into shock with cramps,” he recalls over the phone from Antigua.

“A localised low pressure system hit the bay and when you’re solo, you don’t have the power of four to row through it. I was rowing and then seeing I had gone back a mile. I’d row and row and see I’d gone back yet another half mile. I really struggled.

“I thought if it was another three or four days of this I can’t continue. Two other solos spent four days trying to get out of that weather system and ended up abandoning. I just decided to row hard for seven, eight or nine hours straight to get out of it.”

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.