Andrew Halsey British solo traveler Date of Birth: 05.1966Год Country: Great Britain

Biography of Andrew Halsey

British solo adventurer Andrew Halsey was the first person in the world to cross the Atlantic Ocean alone in 1997. What makes his achievement even more remarkable is the fact that Halsey suffers from epilepsy. Andrew Halsey, born in 1966 in England, developed a love for the sea from a young age. When he was 9 years old, he was captivated by the story of two brave individuals who crossed the ocean in a boat. Despite their disappearance, Halsey refused to believe it and eagerly awaited news of their fate every day. It was during this time that Halsey developed a goal - he vowed to one day replicate such a journey. Growing up, his classmates and friends teased him, but he paid no attention to their remarks.

Halsey dropped out of school at the age of 15 and found work in a butcher shop. Becoming quickly tired of this job, he decided to move to Holland where he worked as a bricklayer. Halsey discovered that he enjoyed living in different countries, and over the years, he laid many bricks in the United States and Europe. However, the sea continued to call to him. At the age of 25, Halsey became a steward on a merchant ship. He visited Venezuela, Jamaica, Gibraltar, Greece, New Orleans, and Gulfport. Unfortunately, the ship he was working on in Mississippi was confiscated due to unpaid bills and all the sailors were deported. Returning to England, Halsey sorted out his affairs and eventually returned to Gulfport, where he later married an American woman named Kim. They had a daughter named Brittany. It was during this time that Halsey experienced his first epileptic seizure. It started with slight nausea and unexpectedly escalated into a convulsive seizure. Falling face-first, Halsey broke his nose and required five stitches while in the hospital. When he woke up the next day in the hospital bed, he had no recollection of what had happened or why he was there. "I didn't even remember being married," Halsey later recounted in an interview.

Unfortunately, Halsey and Kim were not in the best shape at the time. Halsey received his epilepsy diagnosis, and Kim experienced postpartum depression. In an attempt to start over, they decided to move to England. However, one day, Halsey came home to find that Kim had taken Brittany and left him. At the time, their daughter was taking her first steps. The mixture of anger and sadness left Halsey devastated - he was paralyzed by grief and couldn't bear to see other children or Brittany's toys still scattered around the house. A year later, he received divorce papers in the mail and finally learned that his wife was in Iowa with her parents.

Years passed, with Halsey working as a bricklayer and living a rather joyless existence. When Halsey arrived in Iowa, Brittany was already 6 years old, but there was no chance of a reunion with his family. It was at that moment that Halsey seriously considered a sea voyage - he had nothing to lose and desperately needed a distraction. His preparation was minimal - he took a 2-hour rowing lesson and read a few things about solo journeys.

Halsey financed his endeavor almost entirely on his own, with some help from the church and his friends, but for the most part, it was modest and without extravagance. There was not much media attention either, although his attempt was known in the press. In April 1997, he set off from the Canary Islands, and the beginning of his journey was marked by storms, seasickness, and rough seas. However, Halsey had no intention of turning back.

During his voyage, he suffered from epileptic seizures and sometimes, upon regaining consciousness, he had no understanding of what was happening or why he was surrounded by the ocean. Nevertheless, Halsey managed to overcome the challenges of the sea, epilepsy, food and water shortages, loneliness, and all the other dangers that awaited a solo traveler in the open ocean. He even resorted to drinking his own urine, diluting it with rainwater, and moistening his intestines with saltwater by squirting it from a sunscreen bottle.

Halsey completed his journey off the coast of St. Lucia in the West Indies. Behind him were the Atlantic Ocean, 4800 kilometers of distance, and 116 days of travel. In 1999, he attempted an unsuccessful crossing of the Pacific Ocean, setting off from California with the intention of reaching Australia. He spent 267 days at sea but was forced to abandon the voyage.

It is worth noting that his second journey was financed more seriously and supported by several organizations, including the National Epileptic Foundation, whose slogan is "Go Do It".