Q: Did you have to make any big changes to your diet?

I’m very dedicated to my work and as a result I think that prior to 2002 my diet had begun to suffer. Back then it contained a lot more fat and dairy products and also included sandwiches with bacon and mayonnaise, followed by soft drinks. If I thought I would miss dinner I might get some Chinese food and then when I got home I could discover that my wife had also prepared me dinner! Overall my diet was very unstructured and it was more of a “eat when you can” as opposed to “eat when you plan”.

Q: How have you found working with your dietician?

The first time I met with Andrea she gave me a 3 week diet sheet in which I had to document my diet. Everything was logged in the sheet including the times I ate at and even the pints of Guinness I like to enjoy! It was very a very methodical approach and yielded some great results. Andrea was able to identify several areas I needed to change and a number of important minerals which I was lacking in my diet. After that we sat down again Andrea created a diet plan for me, the core of which revolved mainly around just eating well but very often. The plan also included a number of supplements which I need due to the amount of training I am doing.

Q: What kind of energy have you been burning with all your training?

On the boat I will be expecting to burn approximately 12,000 Calories everyday. At the moment I’m training for 2 hours in the morning which burns just over 2,500 calories and then again in the evening I’ll train for another 2 hours - meaning I currently need to consume about 7,200 calories a day just to maintain my weight. As such I have to make sure I’m taking in the right type of food and in the right amounts. Its a lot of food to eat everyday but the key is that I am eating constantly, with lots of lean meat, nuts, seeds and also some supplements to help me reach the required calories for the day. I’m also doing 3 weights circuits a week at the moment, and that will increase to four from next week again.

Q: Have you spoken with any one else who has taken up this type of challenge in the past?

The physical programme is coming together well now and the diet element is coming together very well now as well, so now my key focus is the mental element of the challenge. In preparation for the mental aspect I searched out and met with as many people as I could who had done this type if challenge before, and asked them their opinions. In fact I have asked as many people as I could and it has been very valuable getting an insight as to how other people have coped - you can definitely see the different ways the different personalities have managed the challenge. One man I met was the type of guy who just did the planning and training and then went down to his boat and set off, and on the other hand a different guy came from a military background and was very much regimented and detailed in his approach.
I’ve been told that the waves are like a freight train coming at you. Rogue waves that you might hear in the middle of the night that can capsize you in the blink of an eye. I think the important thing to know is that you are not the first person to ever face those things. Other people have been out there in that situation before and I can do it. I think that no matter how bad things might get, I’m just going to remind myself that other people have suffered the same things before and that I just need to suck it up and get on with it.

Q: Can you paint us a picture of what you expect an average day (if there’s such a thing) might be like?

The first day we’ll leave at 1pm and I’ll row through the night.
On the second or third day you might see another boat around, but after that you’re on your own. My routine will be to start at 5am and take half an hour to prepare for the day and get my breakfast. From 5:30am the plan will be to do an hour on the oars followed by half-an-hour off, continuing that cycle until midday when the sun is at it’s hottest. At that point I will reverse the cycle, instead taking an hour off and then half-an-hour on, until the heat of the day cools. At that point I will return to the first cycle. The plan will be to row until midnight at which point I will get 5 hours sleep and then start it all again at 5am.That’s what I’m training for at the moment, but of course you can’t plan for everything so I’m prepared to make changes to the plan if necessary. I expect my hands, my heels and my bum to get quite badly blistered regardless of whatever precautions I take. So I’ll have to adjust my plan around that as well, and not be silly about it.

Q: Your also using this voyage to raise both funds and awareness for a particular Charity, can you tell us a bit about it?

It’s a great charity and is called Soweto Connection. 

I completed my MBA this year and as part of my studies I had visited a township in South Africa. While I was there, I witnessed what I can only describe as the shocking conditions in which the people lived. Tin huts, open sewers and no running water – it was just complete and total poverty.
 
I wanted to find a charity that I could work with to try and help these people and met with the founders and organisers of Soweto Connection. This is a great irish based charity which has no administration costs, meaning that all of the money goes directly to helping those who need it most. The charity has purchased land and we aim to provide these people with a chance they would otherwise not get through establishing a Medical centre, a training centre and also providing education for their young children who might otherwise have no hope.

Q: I believe that there is also currently an opportunity for companies to join in and support your venture by providing sponsorship?

That's right. There is an obsolutely great opportunity for one or more companies to associate themselves with this voyage and it's principles of planning, hard-work, charity and attention to detail. We'd certainly be interested in talking to any interested parties and discussing how we could work together!

We wish Sean the very best in his continuing preparations and will catch up with him again after this incredible voyage!

For more information on Sean, his voyage and also the Soweto Connection Charity, just follow the below link!