Aleksander Doba named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year

Doba landed his kayak in Florida on 19 April, 2014. He had just completed a gruelling 7,716-mile transatlantic journey which he started the previous October in Portugal.

The intrepid adventurer had used nothing but his own muscle power to row himself across the widest part of the Atlantic.

The journey itself was not plain sailing. The rudder on his 23-feet custom kayak OLO broke, meaning Doba had to make a detour to Bermuda for repairs. He then returned to the same spot where it broke to continue his journey.

Later, another mishap saw the “wings” on his kayak (a kind of anti-roll-bar meant to avoid toppling over) break. However, this time he fixed the problem himself with an empty jug and duct tape.

Although Doba spent most of the journey naked (when he was far away from shore), the adventure was far from comfortable.

At an age when many people are retired, and playing bingo with other senior citizens, Doba slept no more than six hours a day (he usually rowed at night) cramped in tight quarters among five months worth of food and equipment.

A record 521,000 people voted in the online poll. (rg)

Source: National Geographic