What does it mean to reach for a dream? 18 months ago Leon Koning, a keen cyclist, got to know Mark Slats. Slats was training to complete 10 Ironman triathlons in 10 days. He needed a training buddy as he prepared, and Leon agreed to help. As they trained, the two decided on their next unique challenge: to row across the Atlantic and competitive as they are, set a new world record.

Today, as this episode airs, Leon and Mark embark on their race across the Atlantic with teammates, Maarten Diepeveen and Tom Rijnders. Their team, Row4Cancer, is competing in The World’s Toughest Row, a 4,800 km extreme row that starts in the Canary Islands and finishes in Antigua while raising funds for the Prinses Máxima Centrum, a children’s cancer hospital in the Netherlands.

In this episode, Leon talks to Jon Baston-Pitt about the intense training needed to go from being a rowing novice, to having a realistic dream of setting a world record. We learn what life will be like on board their tiny vessel and Leon shares the personal goals he has set himself.

Host

Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro

Guest

Leon Koning, Legal Counsel, Europe and Africa, Fugro