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"Because almost anybody with a little bit of know how can sail. I'm after a battle with nature, primitive and raw."

(John Fairfax, first man to row solo across an ocean)

Tom Mailhot, a New England native, is an ex-minor league hockey player and an accomplished kayak adventurer. Tom was laid off from his job as a construction supervisor for putting too much energy into building the boat and ended up deeply in debt as a result of the race.

"…this is the closest we'll come to an Olympic event. It's the longest distance event in the world… and we intend to go out and win… there's something about just finishing a trans-Atlantic row… but we've got too much time into this-a win would be especially sweet."

John Zeigler was just a teenager when he first dreamed of rowing the Atlantic. Born and raised in New Jersey, he is the father of two teenage girls. Every morning at 4:00 am, he and his brother, Danny, open the doors to their food wholesaling business, which he started with his father in the mid-1980s. His decision to pursue the race was the last straw that ended his marriage.

"I don't think it was a week out and I said 'this is not what I wanted'… What was supposed to be a fun adventure, a test of physical endurance… had become a test of how much pain I could inflict on myself without crying uncle."

Additional key voices in the film are those of John and Tom's family and supporters, including their unofficial coach and advisor, Tori Murden, the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic. Tori's successful crossing came after two failed attempts, one that was cut short by hurricane Danielle, which nearly killed her.

"So many of us kind of live our lives on the dimmer switch… we tuck important things off on the weekend but we don't really have a sense in our fingertips what it means to be alive each day… It makes me relish experiences like rowing across the Atlantic."

Other teams in the race will provide further counterbalance and perspective to the Americans. By placing Tom and John in the context of these diverse experiences we better understand their journey.