Editorial: Kayaker gets the hardest of calls right

Scott Donaldson with wife Sarah at Taranaki Base Hospital.

When I trained for Ironman there were some who thought I was mad. The one-day, long-distance triathlon was a feat of physical endurance that required several training sessions a week.

It was an all-consuming period with little time for anything else outside work, training and sleeping.

Compared to what Scott Donaldson has been doing, however, it was a stroll in the park.

Donaldson, who is an asthmatic, has wanted to cross the Tasman Sea for many years.

Initially he wanted to row one way and kayak back - the mission was called Double Ditch.

Financial constraints pulled that back to trying to complete just the kayak leg as that challenge had yet to be conquered.

Yesterday's decision to call it quits is not something I would imagine came easily to him, after all, he has committed considerable time, money and physical effort to this.

The sacrifices are not just his. He and his wife Sarah, and son Zac, 4, moved first from Rotorua to Auckland to be nearer to the boatbuilder and for the challenging open-water conditions he would face.

Last year they moved to Australia when he made his first attempt at the crossing. He called that one off two days in when his boat started leaking.

Imagine how he must have felt yesterday, three months and sea and within sight of land, knowing his family were waiting to welcome him back, only to have to admit he would not be able to complete the challenge.

As an endurance sports coach, Scott has been credited for giving his athletes mental toughness. Mental toughness doesn't just get you through physical feats like this. It also comes to the fore when you call it quits.

There's a difference between being stubborn and carrying on regardless and being mentally tough enough to know when you should ask for help and so live for another day.

Scott should be applauded on his efforts, and while he hasn't completed his mission he has caught New Zealand's attention as to what can be achieved when you live with asthma.