Full disclosure – Scott is a family friend and over the years I have followed his adventures with amazement. However, when he sat in our living room after his second failed attempt to solo kayak across the hostile Tasman Sea, I was staggered to hear him planning a new campaign! I couldn’t believe his relentless determination to succeed at all costs.
In Relentless, Scott shares exactly how he achieved the impossible by doing whatever it took. While Scott’s achievement is incredible in itself, it’s a greater lesson in resilience. Fitness has always been a priority for Scott who is a former triathlete, competitor and sports coach. He began swimming to strengthen his lungs, after having life threatening asthma as a child. His father died of a heart attack at just 42 years of age.
Scott’s story is more than just another Kiwi adventure, it’s an inspirational story of perseverance, grit and endurance. Scott’s quest saw multiple attempts and months alone at sea to achieve a world first. Sharks, ocean swells, storms and a rollercoaster ride of exhaustion, depression and exhilaration, his story has it all.
Nine years in the planning, Scott’s world first successful solo kayak from Australia to New Zealand was completed in 61 days and 10 hours. It was his third attempt, having fallen 80 kilometres short in 2014.
“In our generation, I think this achievement stands alongside our modern day heroes like Sir Edmund Hillary,” writes Sir Graham Lowe in the book’s foreword.
Reviewer: Andrea Molloy
Harper Collins, RRP $39.99