Seventy-six Days at Sea Continued from Page 30 a reform school and was forbidden to speak her native language. This child was afraid she would forget her native tongue unless she practised it. Thus, she would hide away at night under her covers and whisper her language to herself so no one could hear her and so she would not forget. And then I would tell myself that I have nothing to com- plain of.” The one thing Attalla could not permit his thoughts to dwell on was his family – his wife Nicole and his two daughters, Joy and Amy. “If I thought about my wife and kids,” he says, “I would become unfocused. And an unfocused ocean rower is a dead ocean rower.” PAIN AND OVERUSE INJURIES As a chiropractor, Paul Attalla had known the importance of staying safe, during the race. In training, he had prepared his body for the rigours of rowing across the Atlantic not only through building strength, but also by deliberately sustaining bumps and bruises to build up protective muscle mass. Therefore, during the race, he was able to minimize the incidence of injuries due to being knocked around by waves and wind. However, he now found himself encoun- tering pain and the possibility of overuse injuries arising from rowing motions, etc. Once again, being a chiropractor came in handy. “Because I’m a chiropractor,” says Attalla, “I knew of the importance of preventing overuse injuries by ensuring that I kept re- petitive motions in check and took appro- priate breaks.” GUARDIAN ANGEL When asked for the high point of his jour- ney, Dr. Paul describes the entire trip as be- ing a high point. He tells of sunsets on the water, of the beauty of sea creatures, and of Chirp, a bird that stayed with him through- out the race. “He was not so much a bird as an angel and a good friend,” says Attalla, who notes that he fi nds it hard to talk about Chirp. “I noticed him at the start of the race, but didn’t really pay any attention to him. But, day af- ter day, he would come back to visit. I had heard that some sea birds have been known to ‘follow’ a craft over several days, so, I be- gan looking forward to Chirp’s visits.” “Sometimes, I would talk to Chirp, or, if the conditions were too dangerous, I would not say anything – but he would stay, any- way, in silence, and just be with me.” THE MOMENT OF TRUTH Attalla’s moment of truth came three days before he fi nished the race, when a 13-metre swell threatened his life. “Swells are intimidating to row,” explains Attalla. “If you get hit by one, you can be knocked off the boat.” During this particularly large swell – which persisted for several hours – Attalla wanted to continue rowing but was forced to hide inside. Having had very little sleep, and being very tired at this point, Attalla felt a fear, now, which made him switch gears from racing mode to survival mode. “At that point, I wanted to be a father, son and husband more than being first to cross the fi nish line,” he recalls. The swell fi nally subsided and Attalla was able to row himself, safely, to the finish line. On February 16, 2008, Dr. Attalla ar- rived in Antigua, achieving the second fast- est time for unassisted solos in the race. LOOKING AHEAD Dr. Paul Attalla has sold “The Spirit of Fer- nie” – parting with the boat, he says, was an emotional experience, but had to be done in order to continue fi nancing this journey that he will never forget. Attalla says that he’s happy to be on land and to be a part of his family again. “I will be keeping my relationships closer, from now on,” he says, referring es- pecially to Nicole – who always supported his Atlantic rowing dream and moved to Vancouver, taking care of their daughters on her own, while Paul was at sea – and his girls, Joy and Amy. Finally, Dr. Attalla talks about his re- newed passion toward his practice and his patients. “After no human interaction, and being in silence for 76 days,” he states, “I realize what a privilege it is to get to listen to stories of injury, hurt and happiness and that I get to try and help!” “Participating in the race has amplified and refreshed, for me, how amazing a pro- fession this is to be in,” he continues. “It is a blessing, an honour and a gift to be able to impact people’s lives in a positive way.” • 32 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | JULY/ AUGUST 2008 www.canadianchiropractor.ca
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor July-Aug 08: Page 32
