On January 28, Oliver Crane, a 19-year-old from Princeton, New Jersey, became the youngest person ever to row across the Atlantic Ocean alone. Using his skills from rowing crew at the Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey, he completed the journey in 44 days in a 23-foot-long boat equipped with solar panels, a water purifier, a radio, and freeze-dried food. His voyage raised more than $65,000 for Oceana, an ocean conservation charity.
Q: What inspired you to take on this challenge?
A: It was a perfect way to test myself physically and mentally, and a great
opportunity to raise funds for ocean conservation.
Q: What is it like to be completely alone in the middle of the ocean?
A: In the beginning, the loneliness was crushing. But as I got used to it, I enjoyed the reflection.
Q: Physically, what was the experience like?
A: It destroyed my body. I was seasick constantly; I’m still in physical therapy to fix my back. I lost close to 20 percent of my body weight.
Q: Would you ever do something like this again?
A: I think I would. I had some of the happiest and saddest days of my life out there. It’s hard to go back to regular life once you’ve felt those extremes of human emotion.