Seize Opportunity by the Forelock

Today, people pay for dark rooms so they can be alone and think. In 1968, Richard Konkolski built the boat Niké in a flat in Bohumín, with which he became the first Czech to sail solo around the world three times. What did he experience alone on the open ocean? How did a boy from a landlocked country become a captain? Through plans upon plans, the joy of hard work, and a return home to help others.

You were born in Bohumín, far from the ocean. What draws a boy from inland to a journey around the world?

A person isn’t born and immediately decides to go out and discover the world. Such a decision comes through a certain development. In my case, it was an interest in the sea, seafarers and exploration, then building model boats, and also the environment I grew up in. In my youth, there was even a pond on the main street in Bohumín. Where there is a school today, there used to be four ponds, another just outside the town, and not far away the confluence of the Odra and the Olše rivers.

At the age of ten, I built my first kayak from newspapers glued together with oil paint. At sixteen, I started competitive sailing. After ten successful years, I moved on to ocean sailing, and only after my first solo race across the Atlantic did the time come for my first solo voyage around the world.

When you were alone in the middle of the ocean, what was going on inside of you?

From an early age, I had responsibilities, just like my friends around me, and I never had to search for myself. Every one of my voyages had a goal that I had set long before I even began preparing for it. During the journey, I didn’t dwell or overthink; instead, I devoted all my energy to achieving that goal, and my thoughts revolved around it. Of course, I also savoured nature and discovered the world, and I shared those experiences with others through reports, books, and via radio and film documentaries. 

Was it the voyage that cost you the most strength in life?

I worked hard all my life to achieve my goals. Disappointment is part of striving for them. Not everything works out, and a person has to be prepared for possible failure and disappointment and take it as a lesson.

I lost the most energy fighting bureaucracy, envy, ill will, petty-mindedness, and human stupidity. From all the other hard work, I always gained satisfaction and a sense of fulfilment. I always did any kind of work with joy and tried to do it so perfectly that I could proudly put my name to it – Whatever it was, even cleaning toilets.

Forced emigration was a possible consequence when I set off for a round-the-world race without the proper permission, but the stripping of our native citizenship by the system at the time was a great disappointment.

You once said you always had a plan, a backup plan, and even a backup to your backup plan. How would you explain this philosophy to today’s leaders?

It’s simple. Not every plan can be carried out, and most of them run into some kind of obstacle or problem that needs to be overcome. For such situations, so as not to lose time, I always had a developed backup plan ready, which allowed me to respond instantly to the problem and often choose a different course of action.

I also used to have a rough outline of a plan for that backup plan. So when an insurmountable problem appeared in the main plan, the backup plan would take its place, and I would immediately develop the backup to the backup plan further, while also devising a new backup to that backup plan.

This way, I was always prepared for any possible obstacle, able to deal with problems immediately, and to do so with a smile, which was always very important. Those obstacles in my plans were often created by envious people, and they cannot stand it when you step over their obstacles with a smile on your face.

In business, there is a lot of talk about vision. You speak about a plan. What do you see as the difference?

Having a vision is essential, but it is only a glimpse and a light at the end of the tunnel. To reach it, you need a clear, well-developed plan that tells you exactly how to get to that light, so you don’t waste time trying things blindly, getting lost, or losing direction.

What would you say to a young entrepreneur who has an idea but is still waiting for ideal conditions?

Ideal conditions do not exist, and if they do, they change quickly. If someone is afraid of the given conditions and is unable to adapt to them or deal with them, then they should not go into business and would be better off finding a boss who tells them what to do.

How can a person preserve their own way of thinking when everyone is watching everyone else?

First and foremost, by not talking too much. Don’t share your ideas on social media before you’ve brought them to life. If you copy something, you can only improve it slightly. That’s why it’s essential to look for original ideas and original solutions. That requires effort and hard work. Only then do you have a chance to succeed before others start copying you.

I managed to achieve a number of firsts, both in my work and in sport. It was hard work and required investment, but the satisfaction of success is immense.

You’ve experienced the era of telegrams, waiting for a phone connection, as well as today’s digital world. Are we more efficient thanks to speed, or simply more distracted?

It depends on your approach. In America, we slept on the floor, but we bought our first computer. I had more than fifty of them and assembled them myself, because the computers available for sale were already outdated. I have always treated computers like a shovel – As a working tool that made my life easier, improved my work, and accelerated the achievement of my goals.

I never had a game on any of my computers. A computer, tablet, or mobile phone – All of these are powerful tools that speed up work, but also our lives. Unfortunately, the results of that work tend to have a short lifespan today, and products end up in landfills prematurely due to the pursuit of further profit. For leisure, things like a ball, a bicycle, or skis should serve their purpose.

At school, you had poor grades in Czech, and yet you went on to write a number of books. What would you say to people who were once told they were not capable of something?

To achieve mastery in many things, a talent is needed. But anyone can achieve anything they set their mind to. It may take a little longer than for a specialist, but it is possible. It simply requires determination – getting started and persevering.

In my time, basic education ended in the eighth grade with a final exam, something like today’s school-leaving exam, and at the age of fourteen each of us had to decide on our life path. Work was compulsory from the age of sixteen. Until the seventh grade, I had poor marks in Czech and Russian. I was discouraged from becoming a sailor, being told that I would only be scraping rust and painting, and that I did not have what it took to become a captain. I loved nature and wanted to become a forester, but I was not accepted because of my grades, so in the eighth grade I began studying hard and finished with honours, to the astonishment of all my teachers.

On the advice that a trade has a solid foundation, I trained as a bricklayer, a path often taken by those with the lowest grades or those who had not been accepted elsewhere. However, I had resolved to continue to technical secondary school. I even studied construction engineering by correspondence, including during my basic military service. Even today, I continue to learn new things – and I am 83 years old. The foundation is desire.

Is there a moment in your life you would like to return to – One day you would relive?

There are many such moments. They are mostly moments of recognition, whether for sporting achievements or for professional and social contributions. Unforgettable is my arrival at the end of my first round-the-world voyage in Poland, where tens of thousands of people welcomed me. In Bohumín, it was on a smaller scale, but it was home. Being named Yachtsman of the Year four times in three different countries was just as unforgettable, as was receiving the Silver Dolphin award from the hands of the Prime Minister of England for second place in the transatlantic race, as well as the trophies for winning stages in the round-the-world race. In those moments, my patriotic spirit always rejoiced.

I would also relive the recognition from the Senate of the state of Rhode Island, and later being honoured by U.S. President Ronald Reagan as a Czech, and conversely, as an American, receiving the silver medal from our Senate and an award from President Zeman. I would gladly experience again my induction into the Hall of Fame or receiving lifetime achievement awards, such as the Kantuta Prize, the International Outdoor Film Festival award, recognition in Poland with the Konrad Award, or the Great Colossus Award. There were many times when I felt proud to represent my homeland successfully – And equally proud of the people around me who supported me selflessly.

If you were to sum up your life strategy in one sentence for men who want to strengthen both body and mind, what would it sound like? 

A person needs a bit of luck to stumble upon a life opportunity. When that happens, they must seize it by the forelock and act on it. They must not delay the opportunity with excuses about anything they feel they should do first. At the same time, whatever the opportunity may be, they must be thoroughly prepared in order to carry it through successfully. That means, from school years onwards, paying attention to the world around you, observing what others do, learning, trying things out, and experimenting.

I would also recommend reflecting on the words of the American president John F. Kennedy, who told young people: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” I did not know this wisdom in my youth, yet somehow I lived by it. As a student, I designed and, together with my classmates, built public toilets in Božena Němcová Park in Přívoz as a volunteer project. After starting work, I volunteered in the construction committee in Bohumín. There, I took part in many projects and later organised the construction of various facilities for my fellow citizens through voluntary work – Park pathways, a summer cinema, a self-service shop in a neighbouring village, the Kališok natural swimming area, an extensive boathouse for the sailing club, and a children’s camp with several cabins where laughter filled the whole summer. I also led similar initiatives for my employer, such as the Feropur operation or the Clean Gases plant. At the time, I devoted my energy simply for the satisfaction that all of it would serve the people around me.

It is a fact that when I stumbled upon my life opportunity and began to pursue it, everyone around me willingly helped – and for that, even after all these years, I remain deeply grateful.