Tobacco.org

How to give up smoking: row 5500km across an ocean solo  

Pete Collett said the worst thing about crossing the Atlantic alone in a row boat wasn't the nine metre waves, the sharks, the boredom, the blisters, the weather, the aching muscles or the fact that he is scared of the open ocean.

It was running out of ciggies.

At the weekend, after a gruelling 76 days, the 32 year-old adventurer became the first Australian to row across the Atlanic solo, covering 5500km from the Canary Islands to Antigua in the West Indies as part of the WoodVale Atlantic Rowing Race.

"My Dad gave me three packs but I smoked them all within the first 10 days and then I went cold turkey," he said. "I just ran out one day. There was no self control, there was no rationing or anything. It was ridiculous to be like that in the toughest race in the world and all the other rowers of course are super fit."

Jump to full article »