Twenty-two year old Nicki Borg Costanzi made kayaking history last Saturday by paddling from Malta to Sicily in a solo kayak – a first for a Maltese – in a time of 15 hours and 57 minutes.
She took off at 3:30am from St George’s Beach along with her father Peter who was also attempting this trip (a surprising sight for Paceville revellers who were still frolicking the night away whilst the duo were making the last minute preparations on their boats!)
On leaving the bay Nicki and Peter were met by their support boat, MY Meteor captained by David Mifsud and they soon encountered heavy swells from different directions. These swells had a disastrous effect on Peter who got seasick and had to abort after 23km leaving Nicki to face the rest of the journey on her own.
The occasional dolphins and turtles cheered her along the way but the seagulls, Jonathan’s descendants, encouraged her and kept her company for most of the trip.
Keeping a steady 7.5Km pace with breaks every 15km to 20km, Nicki was making good time but she did not programme for the effect the currents and would have. These dragged her easterly thus lengthening the journey by an extra 10Km, bringing the total actual distance covered to 102km
The challenge for Nicki was a stunning physical and mental achievement! She always wanted to do it and now she accomplished her dream.
Her handheld Garmin GPS was set for 95KM and when, at the 92KM mark – with land in sight, she was told she had 12KM and not 2KM to go – she felt shattered and this is where her mental preparation kicked in. With tears of tiredness and frustration streaming down her face she stuck in and paddled and paddled and paddled – with no respite – angrily shutting us up even when trying to encourage her – focused on one purpose and one purpose alone - the nearest point to land on. By this time Peter had more of less recovered and joined up with Nicki for the last 5KM.
The landing point was the tip of Pozzallo breakwater with Nicki standing on the rocks below a welcoming statue of Our Lady – a fitting welcome from the Star of the Sea – to her relief and satisfaction. The tiredness and exhaustion then hit home and she barely had the strength to get back to her kayak and paddle a mere 10 metres to the support boat and hugs of her boyfriend/coach Chris Camilleri and the rest of the crew on board.
Nicki’s achievement is historic. She became the first Maltese and a woman at that, to do such an event, covering such a long distance.
Such a feat would not have been possible without the help and support of her boyfriend and coach Chris Camilleri, David Mifsud and his boat MY Meteor, George and Anita Attard and Denis Micallef as crew, the Malta Olympic Committee, with whom Nicki is listed as an elite athlete, captain Antonio Donato of the Pozzallo Guardia Costiera and Col. Emanuel Mallia and Lt Col Martin Sammut of the Maritime Squadron of AFM to whom Nicki said a big “THANK YOU”.