His speech inspired MS Dhoni's boys before the World Cup 2011; Philip Lahm's Germany to outclass Argentina and many more... Defying all odds: Mike Horn - Know Him More

“If you are afraid of losing, you can never win” has always been the philosophy of Mike Horn. Michael Frederick Horn, an explorer, an adventurer and a motivational speaker, the man who explores the human body beyond its limits to get the best out of it, is known for his numerous solo adventure journeys across the world.

Born in South Africa during the Apartheid, he was the eldest of the four children born to Michael and Blanche Horn. When he was a kid, political unrest prevailed in his nation. South Africa was boycotted worldwide, except Switzerland, Israel and England, even expelled from the UN. He excelled in track and field sports, even in rugby. He wanted to participate in the Olympics but was drafted into the army after finishing high school. He was sent north to fight a communist insurgence in Angola.  After witnessing deaths and bloodshed as a teenager he understood that one will do anything to stay alive. Meanwhile back home, his father succumbed to an advanced form of cancer and Mike still regrets missing his father at a very young age.

Mike Horn studied Sports Injuries and Sports Psychology at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. After his studies, he started working and earned a lot of money. But this was not what made him happy in life. He wanted to enjoy life and enjoy it the way he loved. So he threw a huge party inviting all his friends and colleagues. With a backpack full of clothes, Mike flew out of South Africa to Switzerland and worked at a hotel in Chateau d’Oex, a small town in the Alps. Having never seen snow in his life before, he learnt how to ski down the mountains and in less than a month, he became a ski-instructor. Besides, he learnt rafting, hydrospeeding, canoeing, paragliding, rock climbing, kayaking etc. In 1991, Mike and his team went to Peru for paragliding near Machu Pichu. Mike narrowly escaped death when he crashed his glider.

AMAZON: In the month of April, 1994, Mike prepared for a solo expedition to cross the Amazon from its Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast. He paraglided from a suitable point in the Andes and went into the canyon from where he could swim into the Amazon. Mike broke his knee banging against the rocks while swimming in the swift river currents. But he did not quit. He learnt how to live off nature and survived by fishing and hunting on his own. After about six months in water, Mike tasted salt water as he reached the mouth of the Amazon.

(10 days before this expedition, Mike crashed his car and a piece of metal went through his knee. But he still carried on and completed the feat with a second knee damage during the mission.)

LATITUDE ZERO: On 2nd June 1999, Mike Horn started his expedition to follow the equator around the world using his own resources. He started his journey from the west African country of Gabon. He sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to Brazil on a 28-foot trimaran called “Latitude Zero” named after his expedition. He crossed Brazil, Columbia and Ecuador on cycle, canoe and foot. While crossing the Amazonian rainforest for the second time, Mike survived a poisonous snake bite by treating himself with an antivenom. He considered cutting off the bitten little finger of his left hand , but it healed later on. In Columbia, he successfully passed through territories of drug lords. Finally he reached the Pacific coast of Ecuador.

The second phase of the marine journey started as he set sail for Indonesia. After 3 lonely months of sea voyage, he reached Indonesia in the month of February, 2000. Although Civil War between Christians and Muslims had erupted in those regions, Mike carried on his journey unaffected.

While sailing across the Indian Ocean from Indonesia to Africa, Mike survived a cyclone.

Meanwhile Civil War seemed to be a never ending affair in the Central African nations. People were posing to be a main threat to his expedition. Mike Horn was captured and taken hostage. But soon he was freed aided by a police officer. On 28th of October 2000, he reached his starting point on the coast of Gabon. Mike Horn had just circumnavigated the equator travelling about 25000 miles in a year and five months time.

ARKTOS: In 2002, Mike Horn attempted to circumnavigate the Arctic Circle. The mission was named “Arktos” (Greek for “place where polar bear is found”). With his own survival gears and food supplies, Mike set out on 25th Feb, and in a month’s time, he had travelled half the path. But a major casualty occurred. When he took off his gloves to tie his shoelaces, frost bites caught grip of his fingers. Later, tips of his fingers were surgically removed. On 4th Aug, Mike restarted his journey from North Cape in Norway. The polar winds helped him in crossing Greenland. From the west coast of Greenland, he travelled to Davis Strait in northern Canada. Proceeding through Alaska, he entered Russian Siberia and finally reached the North Cape after 27 months covering 12,000 miles.

In 2006, Mike Horn, alongside Norwegian explorer Borge Ousland, travelled to the North Pole, in the winter at night walking over ice as thin as paper without dogs or motorised vehicles. It took them about two months and it was a world’s “first” feat.

MIKE HORN EFFECTS:

*  Conducted motivational sessions for Indian Cricket Team before 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup at the request of the then Indian coach Gary Kirsten. India went on to win the World Cup.

* Accompanied South African cricket team with coach Gary Kirsten to Alps Expedition in 2012 before a Test series in England. CSA won the series 2-0 and reclaimed No.1 Test ranking.

* In IPL 7, Kolkata Knight Riders enjoyed the services of Mike Horn and KKR emerged as champions.

*  Before the FIFA WC 2014 Final, Horn took the German squad to a sailing trip in the Atlantic coast of Brazil. He saw determination and hunger for success in the players’ mindset and was sure of Germany’s victory against Argentina. And..................he was definitely right.

Horn says, “My dreams still scare me. If they don’t, they are not big enough”.

                                                            *********************