Before midday on Monday, January 20th, a rowing boat named The Power of One is set to inch its way into English Harbour on the small Caribbean island of Antigua, completing the final leg of a perilous race starting from the Canary Islands across 5,000km of the Atlantic Ocean in 40 days.
That voyage will have taken a huge toll on the five oarsmen aboard – an extreme test of their mental and physical endurance. None of them had ever rowed competitively. Yet, the Power of One was lying in third position on Sunday out of 38 boats in the annual World’s Toughest Row transatlantic race as they approached the end line, having set out from the island of La Gomera.
It is a remarkable achievement for the five, but none will take credit for it. On the side of the boat is a large portrait of a girl with a broad smile and merry eyes. It is of Saoirse O’Driscoll, a vibrant and outgoing 13-year-old who died last year of a congenital heart condition. The entire project has been done in her memory with the aim of raising €500,000 for children’s heart charities (€420,000 has been raised up to now).
Saoirse’s father John is one the five crew members. A broad, bearded man, he lives in Lucan, Co Dublin, with his wife Aoife, and their other child, 11-year-old Riain. Speaking by satellite phone from the boat, he recalled that even before Saoirse was born in 2010, he and Aoife knew she had a rare heart defect which made the organ incapable of supporting her circulation.
The future you: 10 habits to acquire for long-term health and happiness
Hannah Leonard defies expectations after horrific Sicily incident: Doctors kept saying ‘it is very, very bad’
‘We bought our son a flat in his name but we took the rental income’
Matt Cooper: I’m an only child. I’ve always been conscious of not having brothers or sisters
Despite her condition, Saoirse had led an active, normal and involved life, involved in many interests, hobbies and causes.
“She was such a cool little girl, so great, such a friend. To be her parent was a pleasure.”
In 2019, John and Saoirse, who participated in a wheelchair, ran the Dublin marathon to raise funds for national charity Heart Children Ireland. It made him think about taking on another challenge.
“One of my colleagues had given me a book about rowing the Atlantic. I felt it had a synergy with Saoirse, who faced lots of challenges every day. I thought it would be a lovely way to demonstrate to my own two kids that if you put your mind to something, you can do it. It also let me see through Saoirse’s eyes for a short period of time, to see how tough and difficult her life was.”
In 2022, O’Driscoll assembled a team to take part in the race – all dads who were keen to support the cause. The other four were also endurance athletes. Roger McMorrow had climbed Everest. Daragh Kelly, Conor McCarthy and Enda McNicholas had taken part in extreme events such as the Marathon du Sable. O’Driscoll will admit he was the least accomplished of the five.
They trained hard, on the Irish Sea and in the gym. In February 2024, Saoirse’s condition deteriorated. In April she was put on the emergency heart transplant list, but died only four days later.
In the midst of grief, O’Driscoll was unsure whether the team should continue with their plan. “One night Aoife said to me, ‘You started this journey with her. I’d like you to finish it for her.’”
Nothing could prepare the five for the nightmarish challenges of the race, which began on December 11th last. In the first two days, they encountered violent storms and continuous waves, some of them 50ft high. John was so seasick for the first 10 days he could not eat, and he lost 8kg in weight. Each of the team was rowing 15 hours a day in three-hour shifts, with two-hour breaks. In those short breaks they tried to grab some sleep in their cramped quarters, dealing with blisters, sores, exhaustion and being constantly wet.
“I never missed a shift on the oars,” said O’Driscoll, “despite being sick.”
Every day has been a reminder to the five of the vastness of the ocean and its power, and also that of the weather. But there have also been moments of beauty – starry nights, flying fish, a pod of dolphins, calm waters, and backing winds.
O’Driscoll found his emotions have been very raw during the voyage. “There are some days where I have cried non-stop for my 15 hours of rowing.
“I wake up sometimes thinking, she is still in the next room, but she is not. Our family’s grieving has been put on hold. We left [the Canary Islands] a few days after what would have been her 14th birthday. I have missed our family’s first Christmas without her. But if we can save one child’s life in Saoirse’s name, it will be worth it.
“We keep saying that she is the sixth member of the crew. All five of us at different points of the journey have felt her presence. She is there looking after us.”
Donate: idonate.ie/fundraiser/teampowerof1
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
