The Impossible First by Colin O'Brady

This one had me hooked from start to finish. Colin O’Brady is an unbelievably accomplished endurance athlete and I was truly shocked to discover how great of a writer he is as well.

The book tells the story of his crossing of Antarctica, the first unsupported solo crossing. From the start, we are immersed quite fully into his thoughts, his feelings, and his experience during this crossing, giving you a deeply moving and surprisingly exciting understanding of the pain, the beauty, and the challenge confronting him in the harshest continent on earth.

The story jumps between “present day” (trekking across Antarctica) and the past, providing an engaging record of who this man is, where he came from, and how he got to the middle of Antarctica.

While reading this book, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so inspired to achieve more, to challenge myself, to persevere, and to go experience the outdoors. I’d initially pinned this story as, “probably just yet another endurance record achieved in a flat and boring place” and could not have been more wrong. O’Brady managed to get me truly interested in exploring the unknown and pushing the boundaries of what I believed was possible for myself. This is a book I’ll be sharing for a while.