How did a man who was paralysed not once but twice manage to circumnavigate the world in arguably one of the most gruelling races on the planet – the Golden Globe? A race where one has to sail solo around the globe non-stop without using any modern technological aids. No GPS, no phones.
It requires a special kind of madness. Also, resilience and determination. It was the stuff of an edge-of-a-seat thriller as Commander Abhilash Tomy took the audience at the businessline Changemaker Awards through his spectacular feat, laced with many witty asides. One had goosebumps listening to the hazards and challenges he had to overcome, from the search for sponsorship and money to the fearsome accident that left him writhing in pain and damaged his spine in 2018, and yet did not dim his determination to complete the epic 30,000-mile race. He did it in an adventurous second attempt in April 2023, not letting a damaged boat or the lack of drinking water deter him. He just fixed it all with improbable solutions, earning the title of Mr Fixit.
To put his achievement in context: There have been nearly 12,000 summit attempts of Mount Everest and over 6,600 have successfully climbed the tallest peak in the world. Nearly 600 people have been to space but only less than 100 people have circumnavigated the globe on a sailing boat. Tomy was the 79th.
How did he cope with five months of solitude – after all as he said, “A man alone on a boat is more alone than any man”. He said he personally enjoys solitude a lot and being alone on the high seas embodied freedom for him. He quipped, “Going to sea with a crew is like going to your honeymoon with your in-laws.”
Someone in the audience asked, “What makes Abhilash Tomy wake up in the morning now that he has conquered the globe on a boat?” His reply: “Play the guitar and spend time with my children,” says the maritime hero. But he is doing more than that: He is also helping two women circumnavigate the world.