A few days before he passed away, Aleksander Doba was still full of life. He would smile and say, "If I die, keep enjoying life—nothing lasts forever."
His enthusiasm was contagious, his passion unstoppable. He always urged people to appreciate the present: "Life is too short to drink cheap wine."
Born in 1946 in Poland, Aleksander Ludwik Doba wasn’t just a kayaker—he was a force of nature. With his bushy white beard, sun-worn skin, and infectious smile, he became a recognizable figure in the world of extreme travel. He was the man who, at the age of 70, kayaked across the Atlantic Ocean—three times. But his love for adventure started much earlier.
Doba grew up in Swarzędz in central Poland and studied mechanical engineering at the Poznań University of Technology. In the 1970s, he settled in the northwest city of Police, where he worked at chemical plants.
A life of adventure
Born in 1946 in Poland, Aleksander Ludwik Doba wasn’t just a kayaker—he was a force of nature. With his bushy white beard, sun-worn skin, and infectious smile, he became a recognizable figure in the world of extreme travel. He was the man who, at the age of 70, kayaked across the Atlantic Ocean—three times. But his love for adventure started much earlier.
Doba grew up in Swarzędz in central Poland and studied mechanical engineering at the Poznań University of Technology. In the 1970s, he settled in the northwest city of Police, where he worked at chemical plants.
It was here that he stumbled upon kayaking. A factory club invited him on a two-week paddling trip. He went—and was hooked. He returned the next year, then again, and again. The river became his second home.
Doba set ambitious goals for himself: breaking the Polish record for the most days spent kayaking in a single year (108), paddling the longest possible route in Poland (1,189 km), and kayaking across the Baltic Sea—a forbidden act in the era of the Iron Curtain.
When he was inevitably caught, he simply said, “I don’t know how I got here.” The soldiers, unsure of how to charge him due to the number of regulations he had broken, were left speechless. Doba just responded, “Well then, I’ll be on my way,” before paddling off.
For most people, the Atlantic is an untamable beast, but for Doba, it was just another challenge. In 2010, at 64 years old, he decided to paddle across it—solo. It was madness, but that’s what he thrived on.
His first crossing began on October 26, 2010, from Dakar, Senegal. His kayak, named Olo, was a custom-built 7-meter-long vessel with an unsinkable hull, multiple buoyancy chambers, and a reinforced structure.
At the start of his journey, the kayak weighed 750 kg, carrying, among other things, carbon-fiber paddles, protective skirts, gloves, sunglasses, waterproof matches, knives, desalination devices, flares, a propane stove, flashlights, an iPad, a GoPro camera, 320 lithium batteries, survival gear, 175 chocolate bars, sunscreen, and, of course, three liters of homemade wine.
Doba set ambitious goals for himself: breaking the Polish record for the most days spent kayaking in a single year (108), paddling the longest possible route in Poland (1,189 km), and kayaking across the Baltic Sea—a forbidden act in the era of the Iron Curtain.
When he was inevitably caught, he simply said, “I don’t know how I got here.” The soldiers, unsure of how to charge him due to the number of regulations he had broken, were left speechless. Doba just responded, “Well then, I’ll be on my way,” before paddling off.
The Atlantic calls
For most people, the Atlantic is an untamable beast, but for Doba, it was just another challenge. In 2010, at 64 years old, he decided to paddle across it—solo. It was madness, but that’s what he thrived on.
His first crossing began on October 26, 2010, from Dakar, Senegal. His kayak, named Olo, was a custom-built 7-meter-long vessel with an unsinkable hull, multiple buoyancy chambers, and a reinforced structure.
At the start of his journey, the kayak weighed 750 kg, carrying, among other things, carbon-fiber paddles, protective skirts, gloves, sunglasses, waterproof matches, knives, desalination devices, flares, a propane stove, flashlights, an iPad, a GoPro camera, 320 lithium batteries, survival gear, 175 chocolate bars, sunscreen, and, of course, three liters of homemade wine.
The journey was grueling. Doba faced storms, waves taller than houses, and isolation so profound that the only voices he heard were those in his head. He battled dehydration, exhaustion, and mechanical failures. At one point, he lost communication with the outside world for over a month. When he finally reached Brazil after 99 days and 5,394 km, he was greeted like a hero.
But he wasn’t done.
In 2013, he set out again—this time to cross the Atlantic at its widest point. He launched from Lisbon, Portugal, and paddled relentlessly for 167 days, covering an astonishing 12,427 km. Along the way, he faced brutal winds, navigated past giant cargo ships, and had a life-or-death encounter with a shark. His hands were blistered, his body ached, but he kept going.
He arrived in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on April 19, 2014. He had done the impossible—again.
By then, Doba was famous. National Geographic named him "Traveler of the Year" in 2015. But he still had one more goal: to kayak across the Atlantic in reverse, from the U.S. to Europe. Most thought it was suicidal, but he didn’t care. "My dreams are my driving force," he would say.
But he wasn’t done.
A greater challenge
In 2013, he set out again—this time to cross the Atlantic at its widest point. He launched from Lisbon, Portugal, and paddled relentlessly for 167 days, covering an astonishing 12,427 km. Along the way, he faced brutal winds, navigated past giant cargo ships, and had a life-or-death encounter with a shark. His hands were blistered, his body ached, but he kept going.
He arrived in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on April 19, 2014. He had done the impossible—again.
One last ocean
By then, Doba was famous. National Geographic named him "Traveler of the Year" in 2015. But he still had one more goal: to kayak across the Atlantic in reverse, from the U.S. to Europe. Most thought it was suicidal, but he didn’t care. "My dreams are my driving force," he would say.
On May 16, 2017, at 70 years old, he pushed off from New York, paddling toward France. The journey was brutal—storms battered him, currents pulled him off course, and powerful waves flipped his kayak. His food supplies dwindled, and he lost weight. But after 110 days at sea, he reached Le Conquet, France, completing his third and final Atlantic crossing.
Doba was not just a kayaker. He was a glider pilot, a skydiver, a cyclist, and a sailor. He held multiple Polish and international records in kayaking, won the Polish Academic Championship in Whitewater Kayaking, and was honored with the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. In total, he spent over a year of his life alone in the middle of the ocean, proving that age is no barrier to adventure.
He was also a storyteller, sharing his experiences with audiences worldwide and inspiring countless people to follow their dreams. His message was always the same: "Don’t be afraid to dream."
More than a kayaker
Doba was not just a kayaker. He was a glider pilot, a skydiver, a cyclist, and a sailor. He held multiple Polish and international records in kayaking, won the Polish Academic Championship in Whitewater Kayaking, and was honored with the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. In total, he spent over a year of his life alone in the middle of the ocean, proving that age is no barrier to adventure.
He was also a storyteller, sharing his experiences with audiences worldwide and inspiring countless people to follow their dreams. His message was always the same: "Don’t be afraid to dream."
His final journey
Even in his 70s, Doba was relentless. He sought new challenges, always on the lookout for the next horizon. In February 2021, he set out to climb Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak.
Doba did not anticipate death; he was busy making plans for the next adventure. However, fate had other plans: his expedition to Kilimanjaro became his final journey.
As he neared the summit, he was in high spirits, greeting fellow climbers with a smile. "Wild Africa!" he shouted joyfully. He paused for a moment to take in the view, requested a short break, and then collapsed. He never regained consciousness. He died on top of the African continent, doing what he loved.
A legacy that lives on
Aleksander Doba’s life was one of unrelenting adventure, courage, and passion. He kayaked through storms, defied age, and lived more in a single journey than most do in a lifetime. His legacy remains an inspiration to anyone who dares to dream big.
He once said, "Nothing is impossible if you have enough determination and patience." And he proved it, every single day.
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