Being alone for 54 days in the harshest and coldest environment on earth was both a physical and a mental challenge. The physical training and preparation were crucial to my success. My wife, Jenna and I titled my quest to cross Antarctica, 'The Impossible First.' It was a solo, unaided and unsupported expedition; meaning no resupplies of food and fuel or use of propulsion aids. On previous attempts, people had run out of food, run low on supplies, gotten sick, and unfortunately, one person actually died as a result. The crossing had never been completed before, and when I made it, it was a world first. To succeed, I had to get everything right.
I started the journey with a 375-pound sled carrying all my gear, food, and fuel. To pull that amount of weight, I knew I had to be in peak physical condition. I added about 15 pounds of muscles to account for the projected weight loss, and to have enough strength to pull the sled. Ultimately, it was a detailed math equation, to carry enough supplies, without having too much in a sled that I couldn't move. I was pretty close to my last bite of food when I crossed the continent, it really was down to a razor-thin margin of error.
That aside, if I neglected the mental training and preparation, then the physical training wouldn't have really mattered. The deep solitude and the risks involved meant I needed to stay focused the entire time. If not, it could have led to tragic consequences. I had to get my mind stronger and find a daily practice. For me, that was primarily meditation.
Long before I ever dreamed of Antarctica, I was introduced to Vipassana Meditation, which is a 10-day silent retreat that immerses you in the practice. At that point, I'd never meditated a moment in my life. It's completely silent, 24 hours a day, no reading, no writing, no eye contact, and 12 hours of meditation each day. It was a profound experience to look inward, to become more self-aware, and to acknowledge and overcome thoughts or doubts that I had on loop.
The practice was so crucial in Antarctica when I was facing challenging moments of pain, struggle, and hardship. I was able to realize that I could refocus my mind in a positive direction and use one of my mantras, like; "This too, shall pass." For me, that's a recognition that every moment is temporary. In difficult times, it's easy to tighten up and think 'this is terrible.' In those instances, I remind myself, 'it's not always going to be like this.' If you can keep putting one foot in front of the other, the moment passes and your mindset shifts.