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In February 2006, Limerick man Paul Gleeson BBS ’98 became only the 3rd Irish person in history to row across the Atlantic Ocean. In doing so at 29 years, Paul is also the youngest Irish person ever to achieve this phenomenal feat. Along with his Canadian girlfriend, Tori Holmes, Paul rowed 3,000 miles from the Canary Islands to Antigua surviving some of the most violent weather ever recorded for this part of the Atlantic, including 50ft swells, tropical storms, near capsizing, starvation, dehydration, along with severe sleep deprivation. Amazingly, both Paul and Tori only learned how to row in the year leading up to the race. Just over €30,000. was raised for Concern through this project. 

Educated at Monaleen National School and Crescent College Comprehensive where his team won the Munster Senior Schools Rugby Cup in 1994, Paul went on to pursue Business Studies at the 51����, graduating with honours in 1998. While at UL, Paul represented the University on the Irish Colleges Rugby team in 1998. 

Following graduation, Paul worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Cornmarket Group Financial Services in Dublin for four years as a financial adviser. In 2002, Paul left Ireland and spent two years traveling and working all over the world from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand to Nepal, South America and Antarctica. In July 2003, Paul cycled 5,000km across Australia from Perth to Sydney and along with, Tori, raised over €250,000 for World Vision. 

Paul currently lives in Dublin where he is an Associate Director with Financial Engineering. He and Tori have published a book about their incredible Atlantic adventure called “Little Lady, One Man, Big Ocean” (launched in October '06). 

Looking back, Paul says “Over the course of our 86 days at sea, we kept a little tile in the cabin which read - The Difficult We Do Immediately, The Impossible Takes A Little Longer. I don’t know the source but these words of wisdom kept us going … and the sentiment behind them will stay with Tori and I for many years to come”. 

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The above text is an extract from the 2006 UL Alumni Awards Souvenir Booklet.