Richard Konkolski. Being the first

Authorized biography of the most famous Czech sailor. Richard Konkolski (* 6 July 1943, Bohumín), the most famous Czech sailor, started building his first sailing boat, the Nike, in the basement of a Bohumín apartment block. He cut down a larch tree he found himself and cut planks from it. Winner of numerous sea races, he has achieved 12 world records and has circumnavigated the globe three times. The first time on the second smallest ship in history and the first landlubber in history. He sacrificed everything for his dream. He knew the world, represented the country, he was building a house for a native chief, had dinner with Prince Philip, ...battling the fierce winds, survived severe storms and being thrown off the boat into the ocean, where he fought for his life. He was pushing the boundaries of the possible. Many times he was exhausted, cold, wet, injured and at the end of his strength on his overloaded boat. The deserved sports champion and four-time Yachtsman of the Year in three different countries has spent more than five years on the seas and oceans. Captain Richard Konkolski became one of the most famous sailors in the world. However, he was an undesirable person for the reluctant officials of the Czechoslovak Sailing Association during socialism. He was banned from international competitions. In June 1982, during the state of emergency in Poland, under dramatic circumstances, he sailed from Szczecin with his wife and son on a journey from which there was no return. They landed in Newport in the United States, where they started a new life. In his last race around the globe in 1986, he broke all his records and earned an honorary mention from US President Ronald Reagan for promoting international friendship, mutual understanding and assistance. The dramatic story of his life has been published in Time, People, Esquire, Sports Illustrated and Newsweek magazines with a circulation of around 17 million copies. Konkolský's extraordinary sporting and travelling achievements are illustrated by a state award - the Medal of Merit I. grades, carefully maintained personal archive, 89 000 photos, 21 books, over 3,900 newspaper articles, 15 films and a number of documentaries and radio programmes, that chronicle his life. An adventure story full of courage, hard work, pains, obsession, toughness, of oppressive loneliness and stubbornness has inspired him for decades. His example shows that anything is possible. He was determined to follow his dream and he didn't let anyone stop him. The book won the Miroslav Ivanov Prize 2024 in the category of Memoirs and Biographical Literature. From the author of the bestseller Stingl Miloslav. A biography of the Magnesia Literary Award-winning travel legend. The recording is based on the book Richard Konkolski by Adam Chroust. To be the first published by JOTA in 2023. Text © Adam Chroust. Text and background text © Richard Konkolski. Audiobook © IOTA Publishers, s. r. o., 2026. Read by Pavel Soukup and Renata Volfová. Music, direction, editing and mastering Studio Budíkov. Published by JOTA Publishing House, p. r. o., in 2026.