Meet Oliver Crane, Youngest Person in History to Row Solo Across the Atlantic Ocean!

Note: Oliver’s boat will be on exhibition during the talk!

At Sea 44 Days, 16 Hours and 9 Minutes, Raising Awareness and Donations for Ocean Conservation and Homelessness

Oliver Crane, 19, rowed alone, in a 23-foot vessel equipped with solar panels, navigation equipment, water purifier and a radio. He ate freeze-dried food and tried to sleep in a cabin that was supposed to be water-tight but leaked. “It’s hard to put into words the feeling of standing on a 3-foot high boat, surrounded by waves as big as buildings, crashing around you for as far as the eye can see – the saltiness of the ocean spray.” After six capsizes and 44 days alone in the water, Oliver crossed the finish line on Sunday, January 27, 2018 and achieved a new world record as the youngest solo rower to cross the Atlantic Ocean. He estimated he rowed 2,700 miles. “Being out there by myself was really hard, you know, to keep a smile on my face, Especially when things got tough. I had a really tough time with it,” he said on CNN. “My body went through a really tough sort of transition.” Through it all, Crane said he was inspired by his mother – an ultra-endurance athlete who began running marathons and cycling after age 40. “I knew that no matter how frightening it is, you’ve just got to get out there and try it. Mentally, it’s about just saying, ‘I’m going to stay on that boat until I get across.’ ”