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Lone Briton rows across Pacific

March 31,2001

A jubilant British adventurer made history today after arriving in Australia as the first person to row unaided across the Pacific.

Jim Shekhdar punched the air as he completed his 274-day epic voyage in dramatic fashion.

His battered boat was twice up-ended by heavy surf as he approached the Queensland shoreline and the 54-year-old oarsman was forced to swim the final 200 metres to a beach where he was hugged by his wife and two daughters.The marathon journey, which involved encounters with sharks and heavy seas, had taken him more than 10,000 miles from Peru to North Stradbroke Island, near Brisbane.

He arrived at 7.42am UK time, 4.42pm local time. Mr Shekhdar, from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, was said to be in "good health and fine spirits", despite having lost nearly six stone in weight after his food supplies almost ran out.

After being handed a cold beer, he told a waiting crowd that his first priority was to have a hearty meal of ice-cream and steak and chips - in that order. He described the Brisbane coastline as "awesome after so long at sea".

The London University graduate, a civil engineer, added: "Not many people expected me to finish.

"Most said the boat, which was built for two, was too heavy and I was ill-prepared. But they didn't count on me being resistant, determined and persistent.

"My only doubt was whether I would go insane being by myself in a small boat in a large ocean for so long. Fortunately, I like my own company, so I never felt lonely."

Mr Shekhdar, who rowed the Atlantic with fellow adventurer David Jackson in 1997, was checked over by medics after setting foot on dry land. He then headed off for a much-needed shower.

His wife Jane, 50, and daughters Anna, 21, and Sarah, 18, had flown to Australia to ensure theirs were the first faces he saw. Mrs Shekhdar said she was "very, very relieved".

Victory was achieved against the odds. As well as surviving six attacks by the same "large" shark on his 23ft boat, ironically called Le Shark, the 6ft 2in former water polo international endured high winds which almost caused him to capsize on numerous occasions.

The journey, which began in June last year, got off to a bad start when Mr Shekhdar was denied permission to set off from Chile and ordered to leave the country. He headed for Peru but, after departing from there, realised he had forgotten his tin opener and later ran out of cooking gas.

Because his record-breaking attempt was unaided, he did not receive fresh supplies from his back-up team.

He intends to spend several days recuperating in Australia before flying home for a Press conference at Tower Bridge on 9 April.

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