Oliver Hicks

It was shortly after dawn that the 16ft Great White Shark started surfing down the waves behind the 24ft boat. 23-year-old Olly Hicks was trying to become the youngest -and one of only five people - to row single-handed, west to east, across the Atlantic. A challenge that had already claimed five lives. At first he was grateful for the shark’s company; “it relieved the boredom”.

It had already been an eventful trip, “awe inspiring” Atlantic storms had capsized him twice and continuously tried to wash him overboard - progress had been slow. The bad weather and some very bad maths meant that Olly’s food supplies had all but run out when he was barely half way across. By a stroke of good fortune, he came across a British warship and took on more life-saving stores.

Olly wasn’t hungry but he wasn’t so sure about the shark. After half an hour the shark started diving under the boat, “which did concern me a bit”, and then began to ram the stern, threatening to damage the fragile rudder. 80 days into his trip and 1200 miles from land, this would have been “a bit of a nuisance” and so Olly stood up with his oar, walked to the end of the boat, and “thwacked” the shark on the nose until it gave up.

For another 44 days Olly battled the elements, escaped physical and mental illness and avoided ocean traffic. On the 28th September 2005, after 124 days alone at sea, Olly landed in the Scilly Isles “not much madder than when I set off”. He was greeted by old friends William and Harry. It was a remarkable achievement for a young man who had never rowed before, but it hadn’t quenched his thirst for adventure.

Olly’s next mission was to row single-handed around the world. The aim was to row from Tasmania to South Georgia, through the tempestuous Southern Ocean and back to Tasmania – a trip of 18000 miles that would take 20 months. It was a mission that has been described as “at best perilous and at worst suicidal” and it was a mission that would give Olly his first taste of failure.

In 2009, after three years of planning and fund raising (he secured the backing of Virgin and Google), he set off. Disappointingly, after “only” 96 days, he had to abandon the voyage because of boat problems. Olly’s sole focus now is to try again, in the Global Row 2014.

Before the Global Row 2014 however Olly is embarking on an epic kayak voyage from Greenland to Scotland with the objective to prove that 17th century Inuit people arrived on Scottish shores by means of Kayaks and Seal skin boats.  Olly and ex-marine & documentary maker, Patrick Winterton, will depart Greenland in July 2013 Island hopping from Greenland to Iceland to the Faeroes before the last leg to Scotland. The voyage will be unsupported and will take around 6 weeks.  It will be a highly exposed and arduous voyage with only the highest level of physical training and meticulous preparation able to assuage the high risk of the project.

Olly is witty and understated. He gives a fascinating insight into what drives him to achieve his goals and the lessons he has learnt along the way – lessons about project management, team work and the importance of being good at maths. How Olly deals with fear and loneliness, success and failure, will resonate with audiences from all walks of life.