Don Allum

A close shot of Don Allum, who is gazing up at th (Allum, Geoff.

Without preaching superfluously or feigning sincerity, like most recent figures considered to be heroes, Don Allum became a hero to me simply by rowing. A real person to look up to comes without the glamour or luxury of a celebrity, but instead shows us how to make a lot out of a little, not taking all you can get and wasting most of it. Don Allum’s life was neither easy nor privileged, but he managed to find happiness in something that would seem to be without point or reason to someone who only understood a lust for a life of fame and ease.

Born on the 17th of May in 1937, Allum grew up in London, where his humble beginnings taught him the discipline and humility that would make him a hero later in his life. He served for nine years in the Navy, and though he was offered numerous promotions he opted to remain a private. I believe this demonstrates that Allum was humble, without selfish ambition, which is uncommon but highly valuable among heroes. After spending a fair portion of his life serving his country, Allum was ready to begin a lifelong dream. Allum’s goal was to row across the Atlantic. He was well aware of the existence of faster and easier transatlantic transportation, but he was drawn to this dangerous and incredibly strenuous endeavor by the wonder of the plain, open ocean.

To complete this goal would require experiencing a level of isolation that most humans will never experience. To be alone, surrounded only by water, in a very small boat with no means of communication and a small ration of provisions is almost unimaginable. To most, this would seem to be torture, but Allum was drawn to this kind of physical and psychological test. It is amazing to imagine the sort of person who would not only endure circumstances like this, but appreciate the challenge enough to do so multiple times.

Allum rowed across the Atlantic Ocean three times in total, becoming the first person to row both ways across the Atlantic. Throughout his voyages he experienced violent storms, even running out of water near the end of his second voyage and losing half of his body weight. By his third voyage, unknown to him, he had earned much respect and attention from people around the world, and when his ship capsized the people waiting at the shore waded into the water to recover him. After he had accomplished his lifelong goal, Allum was in bad shape. Already very old, his deprivations of food and water earlier were causing kidney failures. However, he refused treatment, knowing that he had completed his goal in life.

Don Allum doing what he loved; rowing with his br (Source: Allum, Geoff.

Don Allum died on November 2, 1992, suffering from poor health due to his deprivations and tribulations, having achieved a feat that most people would not imagine trying. He proved that excessive riches are not necessary to achieve something special in anyone’s lifetime, but instead showed that happiness can be found in the most unlikely of places; alone in the open ocean, and that is something only a real hero could prove.