A 35-year-old Camera Assistant from Clifden has become the face of an international campaign after his inspirational story was picked to encourage others to take the leap and embark on the sailing race of their lives.

Born adventurer Paddy Moran signed up for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, a 40,000nm round the world sailing event that takes non-professional sailors and trains them to take on the world’s most gruelling oceans, because he wanted to challenge himself and figure out if the way he was living his life was still bringing him joy.

Paddy, very much a non-sailor before the event, thought the ability to sail around the world was out of reach for someone like him.

“I was always interested in sailing, and I wanted to learn to sail, but it looked a little bit of an exclusive club and a big investment of time. And I had kind of given up on the idea of it,” he explains.

The most recent edition of the Clipper Race saw over 700 Race Crew from right across the globe, and from all walks of life, take on the battle with Mother Nature.

The only event of its kind that takes everyday people and trains them to become ocean racers, the Clipper Race equips participants with the skill and determination to take on up to 14 stages of big ocean racing.

And there’s a story behind each and every Clipper Race crew member who chooses to take on this remarkable feat.

When Paddy found out that the Clipper Race could be his route to completing a lifelong dream, he jumped at the chance.

“When I saw the Clipper Race, it looked perfect. I guess I’m always looking for something, you know? I’m always looking for the next challenge. And when I saw this, I thought, okay, they’ll train me and teach me how to sail these boats, and then I can go sail around the world? That’s an opportunity too good to miss,” he says.

After completing his round-the-world adventure, Paddy, was privileged to be part of the race’s overall winning team Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam.

“I’d encourage anybody to try anything that gets them out of their comfort zone and expands their boundaries, because what this has taught me is that we’re all capable of so much more than we know or will let ourselves believe,” he says.

Paddy is now proudly one of the faces of the new online series from the Clipper Race, called ‘My Story’, a campaign featuring short videos that shine a spotlight on the crew who have dared to take on the eleven-month race around the globe.

From first-time sailors to those chasing lifelong ambitions, these stories are their extraordinary reflections of courage, teamwork, and self-discovery.

The advertising campaign behind My Story also saw Paddy’s image be shared in hundreds of locations within the London Underground, inspiring those to switch up their commute.

As Paddy now celebrates adding over 40,000nm to his sailing logbook, and ticking off five ocean crossings, he hopes others will follow in his footsteps

“My epiphany has been that I have a great life at home. I’m a firm believer that skills are transferable experiences,” he says.

“Yeah, I’ve learned a ton about sailing, but I can apply that to my personal relationships. I can apply that to my work. It might have nothing to do with halyards or winches or sheets, but it’s all applicable. And I don’t think there’d be any one of the hundreds of crew who would disagree with you when you say there’s no going back to who you were.”

With its next edition commencing this summer and the Clipper 2025-26 Race is on the lookout for more Race Crew to follow in Paddy’s footsteps and take on the Race of Their Lives – and there are nine Irish crew already signed up to do just that!

Pictured: Paddy Moran (centre) with his team after they won first place overall in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.