Colin O’Brady just achieved a major milestone when he became the first person ever to make it across Antarctica solo traveling nearly a thousand miles across the frigid continent.
Colin is an athlete and explorer who started his journey two months ago, and he finally finished it last Wednesday! Early Christmas morning, Colin crossed the final 77.54 miles in what he described as “one continuous ‘Antarctica Ultramarathon’ push to the finish line.”
“I don’t know, something overcame me,” Colin said afterwards. “I just felt locked in for the last 32 hours, like a deep flow state. I didn’t listen to any music — just locked in, like I’m going until I’m done. It was profound, it was beautiful, and it was an amazing way to finish up the project.”
Colin documented much of his journey on his Instagram page.
“The wooden post in the background of this picture marks the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, where Antarctica’s land mass ends and the sea ice begins,” he wrote. “As I pulled my sled over this invisible line, I accomplished my goal: to become the first person in history to traverse the continent of Antarctica coast to coast solo, unsupported and unaided.”
Colin went on to say that the first thing that he wanted to do was call his beloved wife Jenna Besaw.
“I want to simply recognize my #1 who I, of course, called immediately upon finishing. I burst into tears making this call. I was never alone out there. @jennabesaw you walked every step with me and guided me with your courage and strength. WE DID IT!! We turned our dream into reality,” he wrote.
Colin opened up in an interview about just how emotional the moment was.
“I was getting emotional, nostalgic,” he said.“I was reviewing the entirety of the expedition in my mind, and I was aware I’m going to tell this story for the rest of my life, but I told myself: You’re living this right now — live it! It was just getting deep with the senses. What does it sound like when your skis scrape against the snow? What does it taste like out here? Really just try and just live the experience.”
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