Mark Agnew
(from left) Mark, West, Jeff and Eileen - The Arctic Cowboys
I owe a lot to a lot of people - The Arctic Cowboys
Kayaking through the Northwest Passage, I had three teammates, not to mention our shore team, and I owe them a massive amount. I may never have started without them, I definitely wouldn't have finished.
I was part of the Arctic Cowboys - led by Texan West Hansen, along with fellow Texan Jeff Wueste and New York-based Alaskan Eileen Visser.
Returning to civilisation - can I feel my feet yet?
West and Jeff had tried to kayak the Northwest Passage in 2022, but only got as far as Arctic Bay, a few hundred miles into the journey. They decided to come back in 2023 with tandem kayaks. That way, they could carry more gear, among other advantages. They needed two more kayakers to fill the extra spots.
That's where Eileen and I came in.
Eileen is a no brainer on paper. She has won the prestigious and gruelling 500 mile Yukon River Quest. I was more of a risk - I had taken up kayaking during Covid-19, but was a relative novice, especially compared with those three who had ultra kayaking records and victories coming out of their ears.
Trapped in the ice in the Northwest Passage.
What I did have was a clear determination - I had been part of a rowing team attempting the Northwest Passage. I didn't like what I was seeing in the rowing team and contacted West asking to join the kayakers at the last minute instead. He knew that I wasn't contacting him on a whim. My years of dedication to the Northwest Passage, albeit for rowing, showed I was serious.
None-the-less, for West to agree for me to join was a gamble. He didn't know me. I had no kayaking resume to lean on. I still don't know why he said yes. You'll have to ask him.
Initially, there was a worry that the risk hadn't paid off. On the first day's paddling, my boat was significantly slower than the others. Everyone was supportive and said that with some coaching I'd improve within a few weeks. Thankfully, I improve much quicker than anyone anticipated and within a few days we were chewing up miles, though Jeff and West were always faster than me.
I feel like I brought other things to the table. I didn't feel like a deadweight. My ability to navigate using a GPS for example, is something I think saved us a lot of time. I could keep us in a straight line for long distances and through fog. Whether or not the risk of bringing me paid off is not for me to say. But I do feel proud of my part in an amazing expedition.
The Northwest Passage.
Pride is not the only emotion I have. I also feel content. And that is not inevitable. Often, people get back from adventures and feel proud but a bit blue. I feel content because I got exactly what I was looking for 1. Two world firsts. 2. An amazing experience in nature and 3. Most importantly, an amazing experience of camaraderie, which I once again owe to my teammates.
That's not to say there wasn't tension or friction. That is inevitable over that length of time, in that intense an environment. But we all had two things in common: a massive goal and an iron will to complete it. That struggle to overcome everything and achieve it produced a bond that can't be replicated easily. It isn't just friendship (although they are my friends), it's something more.
Only we know what we saw, what it felt like and what it took.
Why am I in the limelight?
I write this because I'm self-conscious of the expontial growth of my profile on the back of our success. I have got a lot of media coverage in the UK. That is for two reasons. Firstly because I'm British and the Brits are obsessed with the Northwest Passage, so the UK's media limelight has inevitably focused on me.
And also, I've courted the limelight. I want to get my message out there - lasting happiness comes from intrinsic motivations like camaraderie and not external goals. I hope it will (and so far it has) lead to talks in schools and companies. At the risk of speaking for West, Jeff and Eileen, I don't think my teammates have been as focused on getting attention as I have.
So, while you may see my face pop up on your newsfeed a lot, know that I was on the shoulders of giants.
Of the many things I dreamt of during the Northwest Passage, along with my first filling meal, hugging my wife and child, a return party with my friends, was a beer with West, Jeff and Eileen 10 years from now when we let the nostalgia wash over us and tell each stories we all know the ending too. I was most certainly not alone in the Northwest Passage.