Thomas Bickhardt was driven by a longing for Norway from an early age, until he realized his dream in his early 30s and leased a lighthouse in the rugged west of Norway, on a steep cliff surrounded by the North Sea. Here he is thrown back on himself, battling with the elements, the job of lighthouse keeper, the failure of plans and the setbacks of everyday life. But in nature and the daily confrontation with its untamed power, he also gains a completely new perspective on himself. He lives a whole life in his new home, gets married, opens a hotel, has a lighthouse child with his wife and sees his love fall apart again. At the end of 30 years in the stormiest house in Norway, he is strengthened by the knowledge that there is no such thing as standing still, that life and the sea are always changing and that the next day always holds the chance to be completely different.

This Atlantic Challenge is known as one of the toughest rowing races in the world. The start of this annual event is in mid-December. Like all previous sailors, the race starts from the island of La Gomera (Canary Islands), more precisely in the port of San Sebastian de la Gomera. The finish port is in the Caribbean on the beautiful island of Antigua, heading west-southwest. In between there is only the Atlantic Ocean with a distance of 3000 nautical miles or about 4800 kilometers.