Rowing nearly 5,000 miles in 43 days. Three women in a boat, completely focused and completely dependent on each other to cross the Atlantic Ocean. It worked! For me it was the second time. Apparently the ocean has a special attraction for me. That’s where I want to be.
“Everything falls away from you. No noise, no ballast of everyday life. Small is big and big is small. I mean: as a human being you feel insignificant, on that gigantic ocean, and at the same time you feel that you are completely absorbed in that immense space. The color of the water, the waves, the sky, the clouds, the wind. Your environment is constantly changing. Unparalleled sunsets, the colors of sunrise after a pitch-black night. I don’t know the words to describe the feeling that overwhelms you.
“You also encounter yourself with the same intensity. You pass your own physical and mental limits. It’s no use asking yourself: can I do that, do I want this? You should! Growing back is impossible, your destiny is far from in sight. All that matters is the here and now. Rowing. Make speed. Help each other. To persevere!
“Our race was a sponsorship for the foundation that Bibian Mentel left behind. We had put six of her statements on our boat, including: ‘You always have a choice.’ That ties in with my own life motto: ‘Live your life forward!’ Bibian wrote a book, LIVE, in which I read: ‘Even if you have to choose between two evils, you always have a choice!’ Every person gets luggage in his life, you simply have to carry it. Worrying won’t get you anywhere. Stagnation means decline. You don’t move forward by looking back. That’s how I live.
‘Of course I know from experience that this is easier said than done. I also had moments in the last race where I was very deep. I was dissatisfied with myself. I felt that I lacked strength. I couldn’t keep myself awake during night shifts. Then I fell off my bench, so asleep, which was not without danger for the boat, my teammates and myself.
“I made a video in which I expressed how disappointed I was in myself. At the same moment we got a big wave of seawater over us. That helped me get back on track. The water washed away my blockages, as it were. I could address myself again: ‘Okay, but this is what you want so badly, isn’t it? Hop, switch, continue!
“Under extreme conditions, all your senses are on edge. That’s when you experience the most beautiful moments. I remember a bird that suddenly fell into our boat. He crawled into a corner scared. I picked it up and put it somewhere where it had room to fly away again. I will never forget that moment. A bird, small and literally as light as a feather, which again points its wings to the wind and flies away. You see this regularly on land. Now, at sea, I was deeply moved. Little bird, endless world. So wonderful!”