When Dr Karen Weekes reached Barbados in February 2022, she became the first Irish woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Kinvara-based adventurer and sports psychologist had set out from Gran Canaria on December 6th, 2021, and spent 80 days rowing at sea, crossing 3,000 miles of ocean in her 25ft vessel, Millie, named after her mother.
She survived relentless storms, hallucinations, shark encounters, crushing exhaustion and eighty days of solitude, which, she says, “rewired her understanding of human resilience”.
Her newly published book, Turbulent Waters : Coping in Extremes, is “raw, unfiltered and unflinchingly honest” in her own words.
“But this isn’t simply an adventure story,” she explains, as she ruthfully reveals not only the challenges faced during the crossing, but also the mindset that made it possible.
Drawing on her extensive endurance experiences on both land and sea – plus solid academic research – she shares the proven techniques that helped her master effective coping under the most extreme pressure imaginable.
Specific, actionable strategies for building resilience and focus in a “succinct and factual way” are incorporated in the book, which makes it relevant to everyone - whether one is an athlete pushing limits, an adventurer chasing wild dreams, or someone navigating life’s everyday challenges.
“The strategies and tools throughout the pages are tried, tested and proven to be effective across all walks of life,”she says.
The official launch is in Kinvara on December 16th, and Dr Karen Weekes will be signing books in The Great Outdoors, 53-54 South Great George’s Street, Dublin D02 X208 on Saturday, December, 20th at 230pm
Books can be pre-ordered at 15 euro here
