5 Lessons from Rowing the English Channel: 32K in 3:03:04

The Challenge

Embarking on a rowing challenge has been an incredible journey. The rowing machine at the gym has consistently been my primary focus and discipline.

This past January, I took on the Striver fitness challenge, completing 100K in 30 days with invaluable encouragement from Tim Chase and Gilberto Silva . It was an uplifting way to kick off the year.

I wholeheartedly recommend joining Striver —it's a supportive community that caters to all fitness levels and challenges.

This month, I decided to push myself further by rowing the equivalent of the English Channel’s 32 kilometers at my local gym. Reflecting on the challenge, I thought, "Imagine rowing 32K without stopping." Before this, my longest continuous session was 90 minutes.

Here are my 5 Lessons Learned:

1. Just do it with no expectations: The day before, I mentioned to a sports industry professional that I was going to attempt something outside my comfort zone.

When I sat down at the rowing machine, I put on some self-development training audio for the first two hours, and then switched to my workout playlist for the final hour. The song "Freedom" by George Michael particularly resonated with me, especially the lyrics:

Connecting with those words, I knew there was no way I was going to quit after that tune!

2. Mindset is everything: While the physical challenge was tough, my back muscles certainly felt it. This experience was more about mindset. It pushed me to dig deep and address personal demands and areas of my life that needed attention.

Your mindset can turn what seems impossible into possible. Most importantly a ‘Champion Minded Mindset’ I wore my Champion Minded t-shirt and wristband from Allistair McCaw it was so helpful as a way to trick my brain to keep going instead of making an excuse to stop.

3. Overcoming limiting beliefs: At the 90-minute mark, my brain was telling me to quit. But as I pushed past that point, my rowing watt average improved from 65 to 95. I was generating more power with each stroke, proving that we often underestimate our abilities.

4. Focus: This 3-hour rowing challenge provided a valuable space for reflecting on my life and focusing on the present moment. It taught me the significance of how we use our time. Those 3 hours were a meaningful, introspective experience.

5. Accomplishment: Reaching the 32K mark was exhilarating. Despite having a numb bum, I was determined to stay seated unless I was injured, not due to fear or the temptation to quit. Achieving this goal reaffirmed that we can all accomplish great things for ourselves.

Final thoughts:

This experience has shown me that we can all achieve great things. I’m excited to see if I can beat this score next time!