7,000-KILOMETER EPIC
CANADIAN ADVENTURERS REACH FLORIDA AFTER SEVEN MONTHS OF PADDLING
On February 25, two Canadian brothers arrived home after completing one of the longest paddling expeditions in history. Seven months ago Victoria, British Columbia, born and
raised Russell (21) and Graham Henry (23) set out in their two sea kayaks from Belem, Brazil, at the mouth of the Amazon River. After paddling uncharted territory 1,500 miles up the South American coastline, they island-hopped across the Ca- ribbean and made landfall in Juno Beach, Florida, almost 7,000 kilometers (more than 4,000 miles) from where they started. We caught up with Russell and Graham a month after their
return to learn what it’s like settling back in, what they took away from their journey, and where they’re headed next.
What do you miss most about being on your journey?
Russell: We miss the simplicity of it. Life was right down to basics. Another big one is the freedom. We could camp wher- ever we wanted, kayak for however long we wanted, pick our noses whenever we wanted, and just enjoy everything about life on our own schedules. Life is very different now.
Was there ever a point you would rather have been doing some- thing else?
Russell: Yeah for sure. There were a few times down in South America where we seriously questioned our sanity and the de- cision to do the trip. One particular instance was when we had the bow lines of our boats attached to the backs of our PFDs and were dragging them through mud to get to dry land in Brazil. We felt like Egyptians building the pyramids, except the Egyptians were slaves and were being whipped—we were there voluntarily.
How is it reintegrating?
Russell: On the trip we were constantly adapting to new en- vironments and integrating into new and different situations. I think that’s the reason why getting back into real life hasn’t been too difficult. Obviously the first week or so was pretty overwhelming with sensory overload, but once we got over that life got right back to normal. These days it feels like the trip happened years ago.
What do you like most about being home?
Russell: The best part about being home is the community around us, and actually being able to fit ourselves into it. We met crazy amounts of great people throughout the trip but because we moved constantly we could never form real bonds with them.
What did you take away from this experience?
Graham: This trip definitely left us better than when we set out, but in some hard-to-spot ways. Russ is more confident and feels as though he has matured several years in the span of only seven months. I have become a more patient person and better able to deal with uncertainty and problems.
What advice would you offer to anyone contemplating a long expedition?
Graham: Choose a length of trip that is going to have you excited to be on that trip the whole time you are out there. Around month five we started really being ready to get home and back into a community of our own. Also, pick your partner wisely. And finally, go for the right reasons. I think if you are out there to prove something or in the pursuit of glory, there is just so much more that can go wrong. It’s a lot easier to have a good time if that’s the mission.
What’s next in terms of trips and life choices or goals?
Graham: This May, Russ and three friends will paddle from Vancouver Island, up Knight Inlet and then ski tour/climb Mount Waddington before descending by ski and foot. In June, he is going to attempt to break the human-powered circumnav- igation of Vancouver Island record. This means covering close to 1,000 kilometers in under 15 days, but after chasing him across the Caribbean, I have no doubt he will be able to do it. In late August, I set out on a whole different type of chal-
lenge as I start law school at the University of Toronto. If all works as planned it will be the beginning of a successful career protecting out natural environment and keeping it an amazing place to escape to true adventure.—Virginia Marshall
HENRY BROTHERS COMPLETE
THE BROTHERS TAKE A BREAK IN
THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS. WPHOTO: COURTESY HENRY BROTHERS
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