Bellini; taking rowing to excess

Alex Bellini is driving to Genoa in his home country of Italy. His mobile rings. He answers it and asks me to call back. He says it’s too dangerous to talk on the phone while driving. There’s not even a hint of irony in his voice.

Bellini has just endured 225 days of danger. Teetering on the brink of death numerous times, he recently returned from an epic rowing voyage that began in Genoa and finished two and a half months later than planned in Fortaleza, Brazil. What makes Bellini’s voyage even more incredible is his tenuous link to the sea.

Bellini grew up in the mountains, 400 km from the sea. He had never rowed before, but, according to Bellini, the sea was calling him.

“The sea came into my life and I couldn’t believe the emotions and feelings that were drawing me.”

Bellini enlisted the experience of Olympic rower, now coach, Gianluca Farina to teach him the fundamentals of rowing. In 2004 he started his long row from Italy to Brazil. The attempt was abandoned after his boat smashed beyond repair off Formentera, Spain. Bellini sent word at the time, “nothing has been rescued but two little things and me along with my health.”

The ill-fated trip haunted Bellini. He came back in 2005 to try again.

“I had to try again,” says Bellini. “I knew that I could achieve my goal. My friends couldn’t believe me. They ask, ‘why are you going to risk your life again?’ But I didn’t care. I kept dreaming about my goal.”

“It’s funny because after the first attempt ended my desire to succeed, instead of disappearing, increased.”

Bellini left Genoa on 18 September 2005 fully expecting to be in Brazil 150 days later. The weather had other plans. Plans to take advantage of the trade winds failed. Instead Bellini found strong winds pushing him backwards.

“I think about 80 percent of my time at sea was stormy. I was being treated like a punching bag.”

Bellini had portioned food to last 180 days maximum. One hundred and eighty days later Bellini still had a long way to go.

“My food ran out twice. The first time I was helped by a passing ship. They gave me 50 days of food.” Eighteen days later the food was finished.

“It was like bulimia. You’re not hungry, but you know that you need to eat, your mind is telling you to.” Bellini had to get help again from an island off Brazil but he still endured days without food before reaching Fortaleza.

“I am not proud of my goal. I put my life at risk too many times. But I never wanted to be picked up because I knew if I did I would never row again,” says Bellini. “I never enjoyed my experience. It was like a fight. I’d wake up every morning and put on my boxing gloves and get ready to fight. I risked too much and I’m not happy talking about it.”

During Bellini’s eight months alone his food fantasies were about focaccia, pizza, Nutella and chocolate. “The human mind is stupid, I should have been imagining things that were more wholesome!”

A typical day at sea began at 5 a.m. with a couple of hours rowing before stopping for breakfast – “a good breakfast” (when he had food) – then rowing until 1 p.m., lunch and then continuing to row until he had no more strength; usually about six hours. “Then I would have dinner, rest and enjoy the night, the stars and I would write a lot.”

“That was a good day.”

The essence behind motivation for Bellini was the knowledge that he had to keep rowing to get to the end. “I was scared sometimes that I was losing motivation. Every time I would lose motivation I felt in danger and felt tired, hungry and thirsty.”

This is not the first time Bellini, 27, has been part of extreme adventures. In 2001 he participated in the Marathon des Sables, a 250 km self supported foot race across the Moroccan Desert. Then there was the 600 km run across Alaska, pulling a sled. Then Bellini upped the anti and returned to Alaska the following year finishing third in a self supported 1800 km run.

And there is more.

“I already have a plane ticket in my pocket.”

Bellini is making plans to cross Antarctica by foot and ski. Solo. Taking about 3 – 4 months. No cell phone calls to cause any potential danger. Then he will see if the ocean beckons again.

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