22
Mar, 2026

“I was either gonna die out there or make it” – British adventurer Annasley Park

In this episode I welcome Annasley Park – a British adventurer and former elite cyclist who, after overcoming career-ending injuries and an eclectic journey through sports and global exploration, became one of only nine women ever to row solo and unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean. https://annasleypark.com/

We discuss Park stumbling into elite cycling after overtraining as a runner (Osgood-Schlatter’s and back pain), joining Team GB at 17–18, learning the brutal technicality and team tactics of track/road racing, and racing at the Doha World Championships alongside Lizzie Armitstead, while managing chronic pain, weight scrutiny, WADA/UKAD restrictions, and internal politics. We talked about the end of her pro cycling due to EILO (exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction) and unaffordable surgery, triggering an identity crash and jobs from cleaning to running a solo chalet in the French Alps, then four years in superyachting. After burnout and glandular fever in 2023, she did a 10-day silent Vipassana course, trauma-informed somatic training, and set out independently to row the Atlantic solo; after capsizing 10 hours in, she decided, “I was either gonna die out there or make it,” completed 54 days, and now builds a resilience framework around solitude, magnitude, and attitude, emphasizing authentic reputation, clear “why,” and support during reintegration.