Person of Interest: Bryan Fuller

Photo by Connor Sumner

It’s not the sharks, rogue waves, astronaut-tight quarters, or oceanic isolation that make 42-year-old Bryan Fuller nervous as he trains to break a world record by rowing 2,950 miles across the Atlantic. It’s the potential for tedium: “I want to bring a joke book with me,” he says, “and every day have another prank just to keep it light.”

Then again, there’s barely enough space in the titanium-and-carbon-fiber boat, named Titan, for anything but seven men, 30 days of food, and lots and lots of SPF 50. Though Fuller’s light on ocean-rowing experience (he’s done it before, once), he’ll carry a tail wind of local support. As a veteran of the war in Bosnia who struggled to reintegrate into civilian life once he returned to Boston, he’s dedicating his attempt to Community Rowing’s adaptive rowing program, which introduces disabled vets to crewing. They’ll be pulling for each other. In Fuller’s case, literally.