Colin O'Brady

The world's first completely human powered ocean row across Drake Passage - from the southern tip of South America to Antarctica.

Antarctica 2019

The History

Drake Passage has been crossed by heavy shipping vessels, cruise ships, and sailors, and as featured in the 1989 issue of National Geographic, American Ned Gilette and a three person crew completed a hybrid crossing from Cape Horn to the outer islands of the Antarctic peninsula by rowing with the aid of a sailing mast in 1988.

The Stakes

The six man crew battled across the coldest, roughest 600 mile stretch of open ocean on Earth. Crossing Drake Passage, a notoriously ferocious stretch waterway known to rattle even the toughest ocean experts tested the crew’s limits. They endured icy waters and freezing temperatures, high winds, and up to 40ft-high ocean swells, all while operating on limited sleep never sleeping for more than 90 minutes at a time.

The Journey

Having never rowed a boat before, but with his expedition and athletic experiences in hand, Colin pursued a mind over matter mission and embraced courage, grit, teamwork, and stamina to complete the voyage to the frozen continent.

Beyond the Oars

Outfitted with the newest satellite tech, the entire expedition was featured live. Real-time storytelling was shared across Discovery's platforms and Colin's social channels. ADD BUTTON TO WATCH DISCOVERY EPISODES!!!

In December 2019, Colin and the team successfully rowed a boat from Cape Horn to the Antarctic Peninsula across Drake Passage. The crew of six men from four nations and three continents rowed continuously, 24 hours a day in a perpetual 90-minute rotation for 12 days straight.

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December 12 - December 25, 2019

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Six Men

The team consisted of a six man crew and hailed from four nations and three continents. The men included Cameron Bellamy, John Petersen, Colin O'Brady, Andrew Towne, Jamie Douglas-Hamilton, and Fiann Paul. Colin rowed as the First Mate.

12 Days

The crew rowed 24 hours a day in a perpetual 90-minute rotation, with 3 men rowing at any given time, for 12 days straight.

World First

The team became the first in history to row the Southern Ocean in a completely human powered rowboat.

Expedition Facts

600+

nautical miles rowed

40

-foot swells

13

days at sea

24/7

rowing in shifts

6

team members

This expedition is for anyone who has ever been told their dreams are impossible.

Partners

“Drake Passage is the most dreaded bit of ocean on the globe.”

— Alfred Lansing, Biographer of Ernest Shackleton

LIVE TRACKING

The expedition was tracked in real time from December 9 - 25, 2019.

IMPACT

In continuation of Colin’s mission to inspire kids and communities to dream big, set goals and live active, healthy lives - his non-profit, Beyond 7/2, partnered with Dr. Drizzle to bring The Impossible Row Jr. Challenge to life. Over 600,000 school kids enrolled in the High Adventure STEM curriculum in conjunction with the rowing expedition.

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FEATURED PRESS

Go Beyond

My keynotes are not just about the physical endurance required to cross Antartica alone or climb Mt. Everest...

...but instead are about the mental fortitude required to face any challenges, personal or professional. I share strategies for surpassing perceived limitations, achieving peak performance, and unlocking your potential. It’s about showing that with the right mindset, there are no limits to what we can achieve.

BOOK COLIN