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Waiting for Sam to arrive has given me the opportunity to see that Olly Hicks, the man who has been attempting to row round Antarctica, has said he’s come to a very difficult decision and is going to stop his attempt in New Zealand after just 80 days.

We live in an incomprehensible world of communications where, whilst attempting to be the first man to walk the length of the Amazon, I can track another who is trying to be the first to row around Antarctica.

I love the fact that just by wanting it enough anyone can attempt feats that haven’t been done before. Finding a sponsor of course is where most people fall - but everyone with an Internet connection, two hands, and half a brain has a chance of fulfilling their dream.

The Royal Geographical Society’s expedition handbook states “Of course, it is better to whisper before departure and shout loudly on your return”. Etiquette-wise I totally agree - the RGS is bang on – but unfortunately this is not often possible. Unlike Sir Ranulph Fiennes, we can’t all nip down to Buck House and ask HRH for another handout. To make the dream come true today one needs to take a deep breath and shout as loud as possible from the outset to attract big sponsors.

Which is exactly what Hicks did. His plans were ballsy, dangerous and daft as a brush and he one my (and Virgin’s and Google’s) full support.

So when I found out that he’d decided to call it a day I rushed to his website to find out what went wrong. Failed equipment? A cracked hull? Sponsor gone bankrupt? A serious injury?

Nope – Hicks has decided he’s got the maths wrong and now thinks it will take too long.

Another young Brit, Charles Montier, has just abandoned his attempt to paddle the length of Guyana from the source of the Essequibo River to the Caribbean Sea. He said that “unseasonably heavy rains have made the river too powerful and dangerous” to continue the attempt. He also has dengue fever.

In late 2007, Jason Lewis arrived back in London after successfully becoming the first man ever to circumnavigate the world manpowered. He left at the age of 27 originally thinking his attempt would take three years. He returned at the age of 40 – thirteen years later. He showed inspirational tenacity and will to complete what he said he would do.

Both Hicks and Montier say they will make second attempts at their journeys. I hope they do. When you shout loudly “look what I can do” – you need to see it to the end.

Ed