Team Out of the Blue

3'000 miles across the Atlantic ocean on a rowing boat

Meet team Out of the Blue consisting of Marko, Amir and Giorsio, who are currently preparing to cross the Atlantic on a rowing boat by taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. To know more about their adventure, you can click the links at the end of this post.

The lines that follow portray the feelings and thoughts of these three adventurers one year out from race departure. You will be able to observe three personalities exposing their most vulnerable sides, each in their own way, by letting their minds wander and their intuitions speak with one goal in mind; to present to you their authentic selves in this really unique context.

Enjoy meeting these three rowers. Immerse yourself in their feelings and you might be able, for a second, to feel like you are about to row across the Atlantic yourself.

Giorsio: “I’m a really rational person. I googled a list of emotions and figured that the fear of dying and happiness is what I’m feeling the most.”

My greatest fear is die-ing and regretting all the things I wanted to do in life. After my depression in 2017 I read the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey and habit 2 was “Begin with the End in Mind”. This is a very powerful exercise; imagine being at your own funeral, lying in your casket. What are they saying about you? What do you want them to say about you? I remember vividly at my mum's funeral, everyone spoke highly of her being saintly, disciplined, and kind. But no one talked about her created property like cars, houses or money, because it does not matter. In fact, if you're fortunate enough they engrave three things on your tombstone: full name, date of birth, and date of passing. They will talk about the legacy that you left your family, local community, and other human beings in the world. So ask yourself, who do you want to be?

My greatest emotion is happiness. Happiness is created by happy hormones like dopamines, oxytocins, serotonins, and endorphins. In order to feel happy people need to know how to balance and boost these neurotransmitters. Because I have visited 59 countries; lost both grandmothers, grandfather, and mother in four years at the age of 18; competed in these ultra races; and been through a depression, I know how to relativize life. I am still a nobody compared to successful individuals, but I am a grateful human being.

Amir: “I’m a spiritual person, reflecting on things all the time. I wrote this so I could look back on it in 10 years and then go from there.”

I’m writing this as I am sitting in the comfort of our home and enjoying the rising sun; what the hell have I gotten myself into! Joking aside, this idea of rowing across the Atlantic came to mind when I was in a difficult spot. I was on the verge of finishing my bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering but was being stressed out while waiting for one final result. A course which I was taking for the fifth time and felt like no matter how much I studied for it, I would never get a passing grade; was I literally uncapable? It’s been almost 2 years since that constraining period, and now here I am: Married, in the second year of my master program, almost two years into our Atlantic Challenge campaign, and possibly the best shape of my life (so far), both mentally and physically. It’s incredible to see how much can change in a short period of time. But I am left wondering, what was the catalyst for all this change? For the better part of 9 years, I have found myself always pushing to become better. To learn more about myself and to put my trust in something far more important than myself. That approach led me to knowing more of what I wanted to achieve, from academics to personal life. But it felt like there was always something missing in my psychology to remain consistent. Three years ago, I received the help I needed from an incredible individual who helped me to overcome this mental barrier. It was related to childhood trauma that had stuck with me throughout the years. To a point where I would completely block out anything that brought me the slightest bit of emotional pain. This ultimately would stop me from consistently pursuing any challenge which called my ability into question. It was a fragile feeling, with all the stress, fears, and anxieties to go along with it. I can now say with a smile on my face that all of this is in the past for me. Getting that help made me realise what I was most afraid of, and how I could turn that fear on its head to literally tackle anything I desired. I make it sound like a superpower of mine, but I should be clear; I still struggle with a variety of mundane tasks, it’s simply how I cope with it and can turn it into a positive force within myself. Now that you know in many words how I think, it is time to move the story back to the challenge of rowing across the Atlantic. I am often asked “What made you want to do this?”, and the answer will always be the same: I haven’t been on a lad’s holiday since getting married! To be continued…

Marko: “I tried to get the reader to imagine what its like to row in an ocean, using the ferry as a metaphor.”

As the overhead speakers blare: "Attention stay back", the ramp rattles into a folded position. Aboard the ferry in Hamburg, inside in the warmly lit cabin, all the bundled-up passengers shuffle through to find a bench, with the radiator-lined window seats naturally occupied first. When the rumbling engine breaks the silence it seems like this is the signal for everyone to reside in their own thoughts. As the boat rocks its way up the River Elbe you can observe the city come to life. Looking out of the right window the tour operators are setting up their ticket stands and the seaside cafe's stocking up on Fishbrötchen (salted fish inside a fluffy white bun). If you're looking left, you are faced with the third largest port in Europe where the cranes methodically load giant ships in preparation for their voyage. For some reason observing these routines from this floating capsule is the most peaceful part of the day. Maybe it's the physical barrier of the water or knowing that you have no other obligations but to sit and wait until arriving at your destination. In these 30 minutes you're disconnected from the physical distractions and worries that await during the day. In exactly one year we'll be embarking on another very long commute to the other side of the globe. Instead of the overhead speakers, we'll hear the occasional warning from our GPS. Instead of the folding-ramp, we'll hear the rhythmic grinding of the rowing seats. Unlike the ferry we'll all have a window seat and just like the ferry we will be disconnected from civilization; not by a few meters but a few hundred thousand meters. Perhaps the roles will be reversed. Perhaps the overwhelming part of the day will be the long stretches of rowing where the mind has wandered too far and the 30 minutes of relief will come from the physical distractions like cooking and changing shifts. The beauty of this challenge is that you don't know how you will feel and you don't know how you might act. That is both amazing and slightly worrying because a normal day does not give you time to explore to such limits. Amidst the sunrises and the sunsets one thing is for sure, we have control of our vessel and unlike the passengers of the ferry we will not be strangers.

To follow and support team Out of the Blue, click the links bellow:

• The challenge

• Team Out of the Blue: Website & Instagram