Crossing the ocean with Thomas Van Woensel

Five years ago, while cycling for Kom Op Tegen Kanker, I was passed by two
fast guys. After pushing myself to the limit, I managed to keep up with them, and after a few
kilometers, we struck up a conversation. That’s how I met Toon. He was immediately enthusiastic
when I told him that I wasn’t really a cyclist at all, but had delved into
ultramarathon running. At the time, I was just a few months away from the Tor des
Géants, a 350-kilometer race through the Aosta Valley. Toon got me one of his high
quality caps, and I haven’t worn anything else since.

From ultrarunning to extreme challenges

For the past 8 years, I’ve been running extreme distances. Sometimes I stray from that path and
climb the Matterhorn or Mont Blanc, for example, or tackle an Ironman. Over the past
four years, however, I had something even bigger on my mind. A challenge so intense that I didn’t dare
commit to it for a year and a half and put it aside. A good two years ago,
though, something finally clicked: I signed up for the World’s Toughest Row. A
5,000-kilometer unsupported rowing race across the Atlantic Ocean. And as if that weren’t
enough, I decided to do it solo. I really wanted to see how deep I could
dig—both physically and mentally.

The Vandal as a partner

You can’t take on a project of this magnitude on your own. Toon was enthusiastic once again and
helped me with the merchandise I sold to benefit the Leuven Cancer
Institute. Thanks to their professional attire and creative designs, we managed to raise about €8,000
! Toon was also the mastermind behind the design of the wrap for
my boat. A plain white boat obviously wouldn’t look quite right in those finish-line photos. This
wrap was, by the way, fantastically executed by our friends at Wrap my Bike!

Two years of sacrifices

Rowing across the Atlantic Ocean is very difficult to describe. Just in terms of physical,
mental, and logistical preparation, it’s a Herculean feat. In total, the
preparation alone took me more than two years. I’m convinced that to make such
projects succeed, you sometimes have to make enormous sacrifices. That was
certainly the case here: never before had I cut myself off so completely from the outside world, nor had I felt so much
uncertainty about the project I had undertaken. But I overcame one deadline after another
and got into tremendous physical shape.

The start

And then it happened. On December 14, the starting gun went off for me at 12:18 p.m. local time.
The first week was pure adrenaline. We were in the tail end of a storm that was blowing us in the
right direction, but that also meant we were immediately hit with extreme
waves. Because of my competitive nature, I decided to sleep only one and a half to three hours
during the first week, which took a huge toll on me. When the second week began and I
was in a good position in both the solo and overall standings, I was able to allow myself more sleep
.

Windless

After that, there was a period of about 10 days with no wind at all. The ocean felt safe
but it was an enormous struggle to keep the boat moving. Mentally, too, there were
several moments when I wanted to throw in the towel for the day, but that was
out of the question. I was determined to keep rowing as much as possible. Sixteen hours a day—that was the plan, and I was determined to stick to it.

Surfing to Antigua

After this windless period, the wind returned. But this also took an extreme form again in the last 2 weeks: 25 to 30 knots for several days and accompanying 8-meter waves that made me surf towards Antigua. This sometimes at 23km/h due to the force of the Ocean.

The finish line

And then it happened. After 41 days and 15 minutes, I reached Antigua following a final sprint of
more than 24 hours. I knew I would miss the ocean, so I wanted to make the most of it. The
feeling of crossing the finish line is indescribable. Only I know what happened, what I felt,
and what I experienced during those 41 days. But I can tell you that it’s an unforgettable moment
when more than two years of preparation all come together in that single moment.

The Vandal: Huge thanks for joining us on this adventure. Without you there was no design
And no merchandise! Nothing but love.