Fiann Paul (born 15 August 1980) is an Icelandic explorer, athlete, artist, speaker and
Jungian psychoanalyst.
He is the world's most record-breaking
explorer
Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians.
Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
, and holds the world's highest number of performance-based
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
ever achieved within a single athletic discipline (41 total / 33 performance based)
, ranking above
Roger Federer (max and current 36 / 27) and
Michael Phelps (max 26 / 24, current 21 / 19) as of 2020.
Fiann is known for being the fastest
ocean rower
Ocean rowing is the sport of rowing across oceans. Some ocean rowing boats can hold as many as fourteen rowers; however, the most common ocean rowboats are designed for singles, doubles, and fours.
The history of ocean rowing is divided into two ...
(2016)
and the most record-breaking ocean rower (2017).
As of 2020, he is the first and only person to achieve the
Ocean Explorers Grand Slam
The Ocean Explorers Grand Slam is an adventurer goal to complete open-water crossings on all five oceans using human-powered vessel.
History
In 2019, Icelandic explorer Fiann Paul led the first human-powered transit (by rowing) across the ...
(performing open-water crossings on each of the five oceans using
human-powered vessels).
For comparison, about 70 people have achieved the land
Explorers Grand Slam
The Explorer's Grand Slam is an adventurer goal to reach the North Pole and South Pole, as well as climb the Seven Summits (Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson, and Puncak Jaya or Kosciuszko). Purists also include a subma ...
.
Fiann holds many of the highest honors in ocean rowing history, including the world's highest number of performance-based "World’s First" Guinness titles (a total of 14, overcoming
Reinhold Messner, who holds a total of 9 as of 2020).
These titles are known also as "
Historical Firsts", typically awarded by Guinness for pioneering achievements such as "''First to row
5 oceans''",
"''First to hold current speed records on all 4 oceans''".
Fiann holds several "World's First" titles for
polar exploration
Polar exploration is the process of exploration of the polar regions of Earth – the Arctic region and Antarctica – particularly with the goal of reaching the North Pole and South Pole, respectively. Historically, this was accompli ...
s, such as being the first to row some of the most extreme major seas of both
polar regions
The polar regions, also called the frigid zones or polar zones, of Earth are the regions of the planet that surround its geographical poles (the North and South Poles), lying within the polar circles. These high latitudes are dominated by float ...
.
He was the
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of the most record-breaking expedition in history,
stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
of the fastest boat in ocean rowing history
and stroke of the
overall speed record-breaking crossings of each ocean. As of 2020, he was the captain of the only three successful human-powered pioneering expeditions into the open-waters of both polar regions.
Fiann's achievements were a major contributor to Iceland becoming the country to hold the world's highest number of sports-related Guinness World Records per capita.
Since 2017, his records constituted the majority of the total number of Iceland's sports Guinness World Records (
76% as of 2020).
Fiann is also active in the fields of art and psychology, and has raised attention as someone
uniquely combining different fields of activity.
Sports
Speed records
Fiann has crossed all five oceans in an unsupported human-powered
row boat
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
with world-record-breaking speed, setting the overall speed records for the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
,
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
,
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
and
Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...
Ocean (he achieved the only human-powered crossing of the
Antarctic Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-small ...
and as a result no speed record was adjudicated due to lack of competition).
2011
In 2011 Fiann acted as a stroke of
Sara G
The Sara G is an ocean rowing boat which holds multiple world records.
Build and specifications
She was built in Australia in 2007 and is long and wide. There are 3 rowing positions on deck with two cabins: one at the bow and a larger cabin at ...
which earned the title of "the Fastest Boat in ocean rowing history", established an overall speed record for the Atlantic Ocean and won the Blue Riband Trophy of Ocean Rowing.
Their course, ''The Atlantic Trade Winds I'' is the most competitive ocean rowing route,
sought by rowing legends, such as
James Cracknell OBE, and endurance athletes such as
Mark Beaumont BEM.
2014, 2 oceans
In 2014 Fiann became the first person to simultaneously hold overall speed records for the fastest rowing across 2 oceans (Atlantic and Indian).
Throughout his career Fiann broke four oars. Three were destroyed in maritime storms and the fourth was shattered during an evacuation mission on the Indian Ocean aboard Avalon, when a tanker, Nordic River arrived to save an injured crew member, yet began to pull the small craft disastrously into its
propeller
A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
, five times the height of the boat itself. The oar broke in Fiann's hands while pushing the rowers’ boat away from the tanker, saving the crew from collision, as the crew radioed the tanker to cut its engines just in time.
In addition to another collision, this time with a
blue whale
The blue whale (''Balaenoptera musculus'') is a marine mammal and a baleen whale. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of and weighing up to , it is the largest animal known to have ever existed. The blue whale's long and slender body can ...
, the critical steering cable broke, which forced the crew to manually steer the boat, thereby reducing the rowing deck to two rowers per shift; half of what it is designed for. Finally, after sustaining injuries passing through a
hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
, the crew narrowed down to only 3 rowers in total (1.5 per shift), who had to power a 2-ton heavy boat designed to be rowed by 8. The incomplete crew had to row 2:40hr on, 1:20hr off shifts instead of the standard 2h:2h pattern in order to maintain their course. This extreme challenge put crew members into a lengthy
delirium
Delirium (also known as acute confusional state) is an organically caused decline from a previous baseline of mental function that develops over a short period of time, typically hours to days. Delirium is a syndrome encompassing disturbances in ...
, lasting many days due to severe exhaustion and sleep deprivation.
2016, 3 oceans
In 2016 Fiann became the only rower ever to achieve all three overall speed records (Atlantic, Indian, Mid-Pacific) and the only rower to hold all three records simultaneously. Upon this achievement, he was awarded by Guinness World Records the title of "''The first person to hold simultaneous overall speed records for ocean rowing all three oceans''", one of the highest honors in the history of ocean rowing.
2017, 4 oceans
In 2017 he expanded his title by rowing the Arctic Ocean, becoming the first person to row 4 oceans and earning the Arctic Ocean overall speed record.
In order to receive a permit to row to Svalbard, Fiann needed to apply to the
Governor of Svalbard
The governor of Svalbard ( no, Sysselmesteren på Svalbard) represents the Norwegian government in exercising its sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago (Spitsbergen).
The position reports to the Norwegian Ministry of Justice, but it maint ...
, to introduce an evaluation of the chances and the team's ability to accomplish the expedition. Fiann estimated an average speed for the expedition of 2.7 Knots. The Governor's representative declared the claim a bluff, due to the present Arctic Ocean rowing overall speed record being 0.7 Knots and that small sail boats average 4 Knots. Thus, they pressed the highest possible insurance bond, which became the biggest element of the expedition budget. The accuracy of the
ETA
Eta (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἦτα ''ē̂ta'' or ell, ήτα ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative in most dialects, ...
declared by Fiann deviated by 4h. As per plan, the rowers flawlessly caught the rising
tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Tide t ...
of the 108 km long
Icy Fjord off of Longyearbyen.
The Polar Row I was the biggest record demolition in the history of ocean rowing: the existing Arctic Ocean record was broken by 3.5 times, despite the Polar Row I team being buffeted by headwinds 60% of the time.
Fiann stated that the headwinds they faced were "''a validation of our manpower performance''". Upon this achievement he received Guinness Titles of: "''First to row 4 Oceans''" and "''First to hold current speed records on all 4 oceans''".
2019, Ocean Explorers Grand Slam
In 2019 Fiann Paul led the first human-powered transit (by rowing) across the
Drake Passage
The Drake Passage (referred to as Mar de Hoces Hoces Sea"in Spanish-speaking countries) is the body of water between South America's Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atla ...
, and the first human-powered expedition on the
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-small ...
. It was accomplished on 25 December 2019 and he became the first and only person (as of 2020) to achieve the
Ocean Explorers Grand Slam
The Ocean Explorers Grand Slam is an adventurer goal to complete open-water crossings on all five oceans using human-powered vessel.
History
In 2019, Icelandic explorer Fiann Paul led the first human-powered transit (by rowing) across the ...
: performing open-water crossings on each of the five oceans using human-powered vessels. He also acted as stroke on the expedition.
Other information
Fiann achieved the highest success rate in the history of ocean rowing, measuring the number of attempted-speed-records to successful expeditions. He was on
stroke position for each row, the role that sets the boat's pace. His total effort performed in ocean rowing was compared to consecutively running approximately 300
marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
s. In an interview with Washington Times he mentioned that his resting heart rate during off-shift times throughout the record breaking crossings was 95
BPM, almost twice the normal resting heart rate.
His record-breaking performance was listed by
Grapevine
''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 79 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, b ...
Magazine as one of 7 most notable "
Smitings" delivered in the history of Icelandic sports. In this act he was suspected of comradery with
Ægir
Ægir (anglicised as Aegir; Old Norse 'sea'), Hlér (Old Norse 'sea'), or Gymir (Old Norse less clearly 'sea, engulfer'), is a jötunn and a personification of the sea in Norse mythology. In the Old Norse record, Ægir hosts the gods in his halls ...
. Presently, he is one of the world's most accomplished rowers.
Pioneering and explorations
In 2017, Fiann acted as captain, Stroke and Head of the project
Polar Row.
Antarctic Ocean Open Waters
"The Impossible Row"
History
The Antarctic Row was conceived in April 2017.
Upon completion of Polar Row II in August 2017, in an interview with
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, Fiann vowed he would row an even more difficult route. Next he needed to irreversibly prepay substantial sums of money 18-months in advance of the expedition in order to secure the assisting vessel, which is a requirement of the
Antarctic Treaty
russian: link=no, Договор об Антарктике es, link=no, Tratado Antártico
, name = Antarctic Treaty System
, image = Flag of the Antarctic Treaty.svgborder
, image_width = 180px
, caption ...
and
IAATO in order to receive a departure permit.
Maritime law
Admiralty law or maritime law is a body of law that governs nautical issues and private maritime disputes. Admiralty law consists of both domestic law on maritime activities, and private international law governing the relationships between priva ...
requires that small human-powered boats and primitive sailboats be accompanied by an assisting vessel during open-water journeys within the actual boundaries of the Southern Ocean. Fiann mentioned that it was all the money he had at the time.
In September 2017 Fiann recruited the first team members,
Andrew Towne
use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) -->
, death_place =
, death_cause =
, body_discovered =
, resting_place =
, resting_place_coordinates ...
and Jamie Douglas-Hamilton. The row was initially scheduled for December 2018 but was postponed due to lack of availability of the assisting vessel. In January 2019 he recruited
Cameron Bellamy
Cameron Bellamy is an endurance athlete from South Africa. He has broken numerous records including being one of six men on a team to row across the Drake Passage in 2019. He also broke the record for the longest ocean channel swim previously held ...
and John Petersen, completing the two-year-long team recruitment process in April 2019 when the final member, Colin O’Brady without prior rowing, ocean rowing or seafaring experience joined the team to serve as Fiann's
first mate
A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship ...
and aid the project financially.
Colin's participation in the expedition was filmed by
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...
as a series, "The Impossible Row" produced in part by Colin O’Brady himself, whose story the cameras follow.
Later a documentary film under the same title was released by
Discovery+
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discover ...
Abercrombie & Kent's Luxury Expedition Cruise detoured from its route to cheer Fiann in his efforts, the same cruise line which in Summer 2020, Fiann is signed as special guest lecturer, among lecturers such as
Lech Walesa
Lech may refer to:
People
* Lech (name), a name of Polish origin
* Lech, Czech, and Rus, Lech, the legendary founder of Poland
* Lech (Bohemian prince)
Products and organizations
* Lech (beer), Polish beer produced by Kompania Piwowarska, in Po ...
.
The row took 12 days, 1 hour and 45 minutes, breaking several Guinness World Records. The team experienced
sub-zero temperatures, snow and hail, and slalomed
gigantic ice bergs unique to Antarctica.
Sea anchor
A sea anchor (also known as a parachute anchor, drift anchor, drift sock, para-anchor or boat brake) is a device that is streamed from a boat in heavy weather. Its purpose is to stabilize the vessel and to limit progress through the water. ...
was deployed 5 times due to difficult seas. Apart for the sea anchor days, significant mileage was made good against the wind, which differentiates human-power routes from the
Trade Winds
The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...
and
Anti-trades
The westerlies, anti-trades, or prevailing westerlies, are prevailing winds from the west toward the east in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude. They originate from the high-pressure areas in the horse latitudes and trend to ...
routes. Guinness World Records
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
, Craig Glenday, congratulated captain Fiann Paul in person and commented:
"This row represents one of the most significant human-powered adventures ever undertaken."
Upon arrival to Antarctica, Fiann recited
The Great Sea Song poem by Canadian
Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
poet
Uvavnuk
Uvavnuk was an Inuk woman born in the 19th century, now considered an oral poet. The story of how she became an '' angakkuq'' (spiritual healer), and the song that came to her, were collected by European explorers of Arctic Canada in the early 192 ...
, cousin of
Aua.
On
Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
, Icelandic national newspaper published an article about Fiann's accomplishment, dubbed: "Feasted with
Ægir
Ægir (anglicised as Aegir; Old Norse 'sea'), Hlér (Old Norse 'sea'), or Gymir (Old Norse less clearly 'sea, engulfer'), is a jötunn and a personification of the sea in Norse mythology. In the Old Norse record, Ægir hosts the gods in his halls ...
on Christmas." Fiann Paul received congratulations in person from the
president of Iceland
The president of Iceland ( is, Forseti Íslands) is the head of state of Iceland. The incumbent is Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, who is now in his second term as president, elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020.
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir as ...
,
Guðni Th. Jóhannesson
Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson (;
born 26 June 1968) is an Icelandic historian and politician serving as the sixth and current president of Iceland. He took office in 2016 after winning the most votes in the 2016 election, 71,356 (39.1%). He wa ...
.
As of 2020, Fiann is the captain of the only three successful human-powered pioneering expeditions into the open-waters of both polar regions. Despite rowing many of the world's most difficult seas, Fiann never
capsized
Capsizing or keeling over occurs when a boat or ship is rolled on its side or further by wave action, instability or wind force beyond the angle of positive static stability or it is upside down in the water. The act of recovering a vessel fro ...
the boat under his command.
Viking mark
Fiann was the first modern day ocean rower to introduce a system of shifts depending on the mileage mark reached by rowers, instead of the more typically used time mark. This system allows rowers to choose how fast they complete their shift and allows the resting rowers to rest longer if the active shifts are completed with a slower pace. Recently, such a system is credited to be linked to the
etymology of the word ‘Viking’.
Art
As an artist, Fiann is the author of numerous national-level Icelandic and international exhibitions including several large-scale, outdoor art
installations. His work mainly focuses on themes of
indigenous people
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
, children,
breastfeeding
Breastfeeding, or nursing, is the process by which human breast milk is fed to a child. Breast milk may be from the breast, or may be expressed by hand or pumped and fed to the infant. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that br ...
and
animal rights
Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...
.
He was one of two authors of "''Dialog''", an outdoor art installation that spanned two main streets in the heart of the capital city with photographs of Icelandic children, 2008.
He was also the author of the visual art project, "''See It!''" promoting the awareness of breastfeeding, an outdoor art installation in downtown
Reykjavík
Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...
at the facade of street Tryggvagata in 2011.
As an artist, Fiann was also involved in supporting the welfare of an endangered local breed of horses unique to the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
. As a photographer he also documented many of his expeditions.
Since 2009 his Arctic photographs have been on permanent display at the International Terminal of
Kulusuk Airport
Kulusuk Airport ( kl, Mittarfik Kulusuk) is an airport in Kulusuk, a settlement on an island of the same name off the shore of the North Atlantic in the Sermersooq municipality in southeastern Greenland.
History
The airstrip was built by US d ...
, the main airport of East Greenland. Some of his photographs of breastfeeding are displayed in
Ísafjörður
Ísafjörður (pronounced , meaning ''ice fjord'', literally ''fjord of ices'') is a town in the northwest of Iceland.
The oldest part of Ísafjörður with the town centre is located on a spit of sand, or ''eyri'', in Skutulsfjörður, a fjord ...
Hospital. Together with photographs of
RAX, Fiann's Arctic photographs were selected to represent Greenlandic Art at the
Arctic Winter Games
The Arctic Winter Games is a biennial multi-sport and indigenous cultural event involving circumpolar peoples residing in communities or countries bordering the Arctic Ocean.
Background
The Arctic Winter Games were founded in 1969 under the lea ...
in Canada, 2010.
In 2011 Fiann swam with seals in a freezing pond next to an outdoor display of his photographs at the Family Garden in Reykjavik. His name was officially added to the seals' family list and mentioned along with the other seals on the portal of Reykjavik City.
Intersection of activities
On certain occasions, Fiann raised attention not as an athlete or an artist, but as someone uniquely combining different fields of activity. He was featured in a
German TV
Television in Germany began in Berlin on 22 March 1935, broadcasting for 90 minutes three times a week. It was home to the first public television station in the world, named ''Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow''.
In 2000, the German television market h ...
documentary ''"On 3 Sofas"'' as a rare example of a person who achieves notable results in rarely combined disciplines, in this case,
sports and art. Once in an interview with Icelandic National TV, Fiann was asked whether ocean rowing was in any way similar to art. Fiann responded affirmatively, adding that "They both connect to Depth". In this way, Fiann was also referring to his studies of Depth Psychology.
In an international television program,
Trans World Sport
''Trans World Sport'' (TWS), originally stylised ''Transworld Sport'' (still used in some television listings and electronic programme guides) is a sports-orientated television programme produced by IMG Media in London, England. It is shown w ...
s, he was portrayed as someone active in the fields of art, sports and psychology. He discussed the concept of ‘
Arete
''Arete'' (Greek: ) is a concept in ancient Greek thought that, in its most basic sense, refers to 'excellence' of any kind Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. ''A Greek–English Lexicon'', 9th ed. (Oxford, 1940), s.v.br>—especially a person or thi ...
’, an ancient Greek training of young men into adulthood, which included physical, intellectual and artistic training. Arete emphasized that development in each of these aspects must be present.
After becoming a Jungian Psychoanalyst and a Chartered Geographer in 2021, he was sometimes referred to as a modern-day
renaissance man
A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...
.
Public speaking
![Endurance_hunting_timelapse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Endurance_hunting_timelapse.jpg)
Since 2017, Fiann has been conducting lectures detailing the psychological aspects of ultra endurance sports and the psyche of explorers.
In 2019 Fiann spoke at TEDx
Bend, where he elaborated on the potential generated by psychological wounds and the possibility of deriving constructive outcomes based on the personality traits related to these wounds. Since December 2019 the talk has been featured by main
TED
TED may refer to:
Economics and finance
* TED spread between U.S. Treasuries and Eurodollar
Education
* ''Türk Eğitim Derneği'', the Turkish Education Association
** TED Ankara College Foundation Schools, Turkey
** Transvaal Education Depa ...
.
Charity and education
Fiann's very first creative project to receive public recognition was a charity event that he organized, in which Fiann collected funds and supervised the construction of a new facility building for Götusmiðjan, the center for youth at risk, in Iceland in 2007.
In 2011 Fiann and Natalie Caroline founded ''Fiann Paul Foundation'', which built a primary school in the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
in 2013.
The school educates 150 pupils per year. The project demonstrates two of his academic interests, architecture and
pedagogy
Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken as ...
.
In addition to his formal education, Fiann spent 2 years in the Himalayas and years in remote parts of
Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
. He considers this time as one of the most transformational periods in his life.
He has conducted multiple lectures, and workshops in different parts of the world.
In 2019 Fiann was appointed a coordinator for
Ocean Rowing Society International
Ocean Rowing Society International (ORSI) (prior to 2006 known as ORS), is the governing body for international ocean rowing and official adjudicator of ocean rowing records for Guinness World Records. ORSI was founded in 1983 in California by ocea ...
, the governing body for international ocean rowing.
In 2020 he was awarded an Honorary
Master Mariner
A master mariner is a licensed mariner who holds the highest grade of seafarer qualification; namely, an unlimited master's license. Such a license is labelled ''unlimited'' because it has no limits on the tonnage, power, or geographic location of ...
from the Association of Master Mariners at
Maritime University in Gdynia, Poland. Master Mariner is the highest
seafarer
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the s ...
qualification. In Poland, one needs to study for approximately 8 years to achieve this qualification.
In 2021 Fiann completed studies in
Depth Psychology
Depth psychology (from the German term ''Tiefenpsychologie'') refers to the practice and research of the science of the unconscious, covering both psychoanalysis and psychology. It is also defined as the psychological theory that explores the rela ...
and completed a training to become a
Jungian Analyst
Analytical psychology ( de , Analytische Psychologie, sometimes translated as analytic psychology and referred to as Jungian analysis) is a term coined by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, to describe research into his new "empirical science" ...
at the
C.G. Jung institute in
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
.
His main focus is the psychology of ultra endurance performance, and the psychological dynamics within the psyche of explorers and endurance athletes.
In 2021 Fiann
pro-bono
( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...
developed a
geodatabase
A spatial database is a general-purpose database (usually a relational database) that has been enhanced to include spatial data that represents objects defined in a geometric space, along with tools for querying and analyzing such data. Most s ...
that documents and processes the entire history of human-power
ocean-exploration, dubbed by Guinness World Records “The first real adventure database”.
Honors
Performance based Guinness World Records
Guinness World's Firsts
"World's First" is the highest form of Guinness World Record, the ownership of this title never expires. Most of World Firsts held by Fiann are direct and absolute firsts, not as a result of a sophisticated sub-categorization frequently claimed by adventurers nowadays.
Pioneering and explorations Guinness World's First titles
* First to row 4 oceans, 2017
* First to row the Arctic Ocean open waters south to north
* First recorded complete human-powered crossing of the Barents Sea, 2017
* First to row the Arctic Ocean open waters north to south, 2017
* First recorded complete human-powered crossing of the Greenland Sea, 2017
* First to row the Arctic Ocean in both directions, 2017
* First to row across the Drake Passage, 2019
* First to row on the Southern Ocean, 2019
* First to row to the Antarctic continent, 2019
* First to row in both Polar Regions, 2019
* First to row on 5 oceans (first to complete Ocean Explorers Grand Slam), 2019
Other Performance Guinness World's First titles
* First person to hold simultaneous overall speed Guinness World Records for ocean rowing all three oceans (hat-trick): 2016
* First person to twice hold three simultaneous overall ocean rowing speed records on different oceans (hat-trick): 2017
* First to hold current speed records on 4 oceans, 2017
Guinness Mosts
Accumulative Guinness World Records for total number of accomplishments in Ocean Rowing
* Most ocean rowing speed records held simultaneously on different oceans (3), 2016
* Most ocean rowing speed records held simultaneously on different oceans, (4), 2017
* Most ocean rowing overall speed records within two consecutive years (2), 2017
* Most Polar Open Water rows completed by a rower (3), 2019
* Most latitude records held by a rower (6), 2019
Overall Speed Guinness World Records
Multiple speed records exist on each ocean for different routes, classes and categories. The overall speed record however, is the highest type of speed record there is.
* Fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, 2011
* Fastest crossing of the Indian Ocean, 2014
* Fastest crossing of the Mid-Pacific Ocean, 2016
* Fastest crossing of the Arctic Ocean, 2017
Other Speed Guinness World Records
* Highest consecutive number of days rowed a distance over 100 miles a day (12 days), 2011
* Fastest row across the Indian Ocean by a team, 2014
Geographical Guinness World Records
Latitude records can only be claimed within the expedition that meets the ocean rowing criteria of minimum distance covered.
Latitude Guinness World Records
* Northernmost latitude (78°15'20
'' N) reached by a rowing vessel, 2017
* Northernmost departure point (78°13' N), 2017
* Northernmost latitude reached by a rowing vessel (Arctic ice pack edge - 79°55'50
'' N), 2017
* The southernmost start of a rowing expedition, 55° 58′ S
* The southernmost latitude reached by a rowing vessel, 64°14′S
Longest distance Guinness World Records
* The longest distance rowed on the Arctic Ocean Open Waters within one expedition, 2017
* Longest distance rowed by a crew on the Indian Ocean, 2014
* Longest aggregated distance rowed in the Polar Open Water.
Ocean Rowing World Records
* Most record-breaking ocean rower
* Most record-breaking ocean crossing, 2017
* Fastest ocean rowing boat in history as compared to the average speed of any row on any ocean, 2011
Other world records
* Most record-breaking expedition in history, 2017
Other Honors and Awards
* Blue Riband Trophy of Ocean Rowing, 2011
* Winner of the Great Pacific Race in classic class, 2016
* Winner of the Great Pacific Race in all classes (against open class), 2016
* Holder of majority of Icelandic Sports' Guinness World Records
* Oars of
Anders Svedlund
Anders Johan Svedlund, (born 1926 in Mellösa, Sweden, died 1979 in Auckland, New Zealand), was a Swedish born, naturalized New Zealand ocean rowing pioneer. Anders performed 2 of 14 Historic ocean rows listed by Ocean Rowing Society, the officia ...
from friends and family of Anders Svedlund
* Diploma from Military Personnel of Jan Mayen for accomplishments in ocean rowing
Statistical facts
As of 2020 his records constitute the majority of Icelandic sports Guinness World Records (76%, or 41 of 54 in total) 76% of Icelandic personal Guinness World Records (41 of 54 in total) and 36% of the total number of Icelandic Guinness World Records (41 of 105 including Iceland's records for natural phenomenon and geography).
Other major holders of Icelandic sports' Guinness World records are
Anníe Mist Þórisdóttir
Anníe Mist Þórisdóttir (often featured as Annie Thorisdottir in international media) is a professional CrossFit athlete from Reykjavík, Iceland. She is the co-owner of Crossfit Reykjavik, where she also coaches and trains.
Anníe is the fir ...
(3) and
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (; transliterated as Hafthor in English, born 26 November 1988), is an Icelandic professional strongman, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest strength athletes of all time. He is the first and only person t ...
(4).
Fiann Paul and Reinhold Messner were the only explorers to achieve Guinness World Records adjudicated
hat-trick for exploration.
Personal life
Fiann chooses to
consume no alcohol. He mentioned music to be his only addiction. The only meat present in his diet is
of fish origin, as he states that fish are the only animals he could handle killing by himself.
He is also known for eating raw eggs, instead of protein shakes after training.
His favorite places in Reykjavik are
Nauthólsvík
Nauthólsvík (, "bull hill bay") is a Seaside resort and a small neighbourhood in Reykjavík, the capital city of Iceland, about from Perlan. It has a beach with an artificial hot spring – hot water is pumped into a man-made lagoon.
The tem ...
, and Árbæjarlaug where his personalized outdoor workout is a major part of his daily training routine.
He is a fan of
Icelandic Sweaters.
Throughout his career Fiann has mentioned only one coach, Eygló Rós Agnarsdóttir, in an interview conducted in 2017
See also
*
Jean-Pierre Rives
Jean-Pierre Rives (born 31 December 1952) is a French former rugby union player and visual artist.
"A cult figure in France", according to the ''BBC'', he came to epitomise the team's spirit and "ultra-committed, guts-and-glory style of play".
*
Ernie Barnes
Ernest Eugene Barnes Jr. (July 15, 1938 – April 27, 2009) was an American artist, well known for his unique style of elongated characters and movement. He was also a professional football player, actor and author.
Early life
Childhood
E ...
*
Rockwell Kent
Rockwell Kent (June 21, 1882 – March 13, 1971) was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, writer, sailor, adventurer and voyager.
Biography
Rockwell Kent was born in Tarrytown, New York. Kent was of English descent. He lived much of ...
Notes
References
External links
Collection of TV broadcasts covering Fiann's artCollection of TV broadcasts covering Fiann's sport achievements
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, Fiann
1980 births
Living people
Icelandic rowers
Ocean rowers
Sports world record holders
Icelandic photographers
Installation artists
Explorers of the Arctic
Icelandic explorers
Icelandic motivational speakers
English-language haiku poets
Polar explorers
Explorers of Antarctica
Icelandic people of Polish descent
Jungian psychologists
Psychoanalysts
Poznań University of Technology alumni
Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society