John Fairfax (rower)

John Fairfax (1937 – 2012) was a British ocean rower and adventurer, best known for being the first person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean and, with Sylvia Cook, the first to row across the Pacific Ocean.

Fairfax was born in Rome, Italy, to an English father and a Bulgarian mother. His early life was marked by adventure, including running away to sea at age 13 and engaging in piracy on the Amazon River. He also worked as a cowboy, shark fisherman, and professional gambler before turning his attention to ocean rowing.

In 1969, Fairfax successfully rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean, departing from the Canary Islands on January 20 and arriving in Hollywood, Florida, on July 19. The journey took 180 days.

In 1971, Fairfax partnered with Sylvia Cook, and together they rowed across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco, California, to Hayman Island, Australia. They departed on April 26 and arrived on April 22, 1972, making them the first people to row across the Pacific. During the voyage, they faced numerous challenges, including storms, shark attacks, and equipment failures.

Fairfax's voyages were widely publicized and made him a celebrity. He wrote books about his adventures, inspiring others to undertake similar feats of endurance. He died in Henderson, Nevada, in 2012.