Bryce Carlson, a high school teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio, who broke a world record when he successfully rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Some of the most amazing feats are accomplished by remarkable teachers. One of these teachers is Bryce Carlson, a high school science teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio, who was recently featured in the news because he broke the world record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. This extraordinary teacher is the first American to row solo and unassisted across the North Atlantic Ocean, and he did it in record time.
Bryce’s journey began in St. John’s in Newfoundland, Canada, on June 27. He arrived in St. Mary’s Harbor in the Isles of Scilly on the southwestern tip of England just 38 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes later. The previous record was 53 days, 8 hours, and 26 minutes.
Bryce rowed a distance of about 2,000 nautical miles. This amazing teacher made the trip in a 20-foot, 700-pound boat made of carbon fiber he named Lucille. He packed the boat with navigation and safety equipment, a water maker, bilge pump, stove, mattress and sleeping bag, clothes, toiletries, a medical supplies kit, a few books, and a stereo with his favorite music selections. “If the boat or I get into real trouble, I can signal for help via an emergency beacon or VHF radio on the boat, a personal emergency beacon on my life vest, or by my tracking unit, satellite phone and a satellite Wi-Fi hotspot,” Bryce explained before he started out. These precautions were extremely important. During the journey, Bryce capsized several times and endured high waves, not to mention the remnants of a hurricane!
During his adventure, Bryce worked with a software company based in Cincinnati called Abre Everywhere, which will help him turn his experience and the data from his trip into courses available to other educators.
Bryce’s school is lucky to have him on their staff. He teaches biology, environmental studies, and psychology at the Seven Hills School, a private school located near Cincinnati, Ohio. The Seven Hills School, originally founded in 1906, aspires to foster natural curiosity, active inquiry, and self-discovery. Bryce certainly has modeled those characteristics in spades.
Bryce earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in 2003 and his Ph.D in Biological Anthropology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2011.
Right on, Bryce!
