Sailing the Adriatic from Venice, Italy to Pula, Croatia seems like an ideal vacation. But, how about “walking” across the water instead?
Branimir Kvartuč plans to do exactly that on June 26, 2010: glide 130 kilometers across the Adriatic Sea to raise funds for medical equipment for a hospital in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
We here at the CNYLA wanted to learn more about his life journey and details of his extraordinary humanitarian effort to take place later this month. He took some time out of his extensive training (he paddled 90 kilometers yesterday!) to speak with our very own CNYLA President, Diane Kolanović, for our first exclusive blog interview.
Described as the “most fun interview” to date, Kvartuč answers all of CNYLA’s questions with a light hearted and positive outlook. Read below about this Croatian-American role model that survived cancer, became a living legend and is about to enter the Guinness Book of World Records!
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Kvartuć Stands Up to Cancer
20 Questions with Branimir Kvartuć: the Survivor and Living Legend
by: Diane Kolanović
Diane Kolanović: Give us a little background on yourself: Where were you born? Where in Los Angeles do/did you live/lived? Where in Croatia are you from? How often would you visit?
Branimir Kvartuć: I was born in Zadar and moved to San Pedro, a suburb of Los Angeles, when I was six. Up until recently, I only visited Croatia once when I was 12 years old. I started frequent trips to Croatia while I accompanied, what is now, my ex-girlfriend in 2003. She had a house on Vis and we would visit every summer. We actually moved to Croatia in 2008 to open a Yoga retreat together on Vis, but three months after opening, we parted ways. After the break up, I stayed in Croatia– I did not want to return to the US. I got used living in Croatia and I enjoyed it. As a high-end photojournalist, I was able to get a job quickly and began working for CROPIX, Croatia’s largest photo agency. I was sent to Dubrovnik where I shot photos that appeared daily in Jutarnji List, Slobodna Dalmacija, and many other media outlets.
DK: When did you first get on a surfboard? When did you discover paddle boarding?
BK: I am the founder of www.EppicSurf.com, a social networking site for the surf culture. Even though I am not much of a surfer, I was able to interact and socialize within the surf culture because of the website. Stand Up Paddle boarding burst into the surf scene across California about a year before I moved to Croatia. It caught my interest. I saw a lot of surfers standing up and catching waves instead of laying down. I saw the same guys paddling outside the break as well. When it was time to move to Croatia, I thought, ‘this is the perfect thing to do on the Adriatic.’ So, I took a board with me while on Vis and started to Stand Up Paddle board. It was, and still is, the best activity to do on the Adriatic. You get all the benefits of a workout without the damper of working out indoors at a gym. I fell in love with the sport. When I moved to Dubrovnik, I continued to Stand Up Paddle during my time off as a photographer. I started to paddle longer and longer distances. My colleagues in the Dubrovnik media took note and soon I was in the news instead of reporting it! Slobodna Dalmacija, HRT and many websites wrote stories of the first Stand Up Paddle boarder in Croatia—which turns out, is me!
DK: Describe the day you were diagnosed with cancer. What kind did you have?
BK: In September of 2009, I noticed something was not right—I found a growth and went to see the doctor. He did an ultrasound and said “Na zalost….” (translation: “with regret…”) He didn’t have to continue–I knew what was coming next. Your whole world comes crashing down. My first thought was, ‘that’s all folks’ and thought this was the end. That day I did not have the energy to do anything by myself. I was lucky that my friends and colleagues came running to the hospital and started to work on logistics for me. I had a tumor. I was sent to Zagreb for surgery. I was in the hospital for 10 days. The worst thing was that doctors here (in Croatia) do not talk to you. They do their job like a car mechanic and treat you like the car. Even though I asked a million questions, none of them were answered.
Luckily, I had a friend who is a successful doctor in Los Angeles. I sent him my original CT scan and he had his radiologists review it. They found mistakes in my diagnosis! It was not as bad as I was told. The oncologist in Zagreb wanted to give me four heavy doses of chemotherapy when all I needed was one cycle of something a bit lighter. When I insisted on a reexamination of my CT, the Zagreb oncologist waited over a month until I fired him and found a new oncologists– Dr. Vrdoljak and Dr. Omrcen in Split. They listen to me and had me do a PET/CT to confirm that indeed I was a Phase I patient and not Phase II. Dr. Omrcen and I agreed that I would take two doses of chemo to be completely sure that I would be fine. Shortly after my two cycles of chemo I got a clean bill of health and headed back to my normal life–which was snowboarding in Switzerland for a couple weeks.
DK: Where and how did you find the courage to battle for your life?
During the time that I was unsure of my status–whether I will live or die– I realized how precious life is and saw the reality that I will die one day. I decided that no matter how long or short I lived, I would make every day an adventure, produce something meaningful with my time and energy and, most of all, I would give back. I kept visualizing that small little line on your tombstone– the one between your date of birth and date of death–I wanted to make the most out of that little line.
DK: Describe the day that you found out you were in remission. Do you have any words of hope for anyone who is currently fighting off cancer themselves?
BK: I would say the best medicine is mental. Your outlook towards your own life will determine how healthy you are and how long you live. I decided that I was going to rule the disease, not vice versa. Once I made that clear in my head, the disease had no chance. I also decided that I was not going to put my life in the hands of doctors. Here (in Croatia) doctors think they are your “God,” but it was clear to me that is not the case. I told myself that I was the General in this war and battle against the cancer–the doctors were my soldiers. I do not mean to speak badly about doctors, but I would have been in worse shape if I did not take control in my head.
My advice to any patient: nobody will care for you as much as you care for yourself. I studied my disease. I got second opinions from my friends. I ran the battle. I said no to doctors and listened to my heart to choose the appropriate road to recovery. Running the show empowered me which ultimately led me to my recovery.
DK: How did this idea of paddle boarding across the Adriatic come into fruition?
BK: I did not want this disease to weaken me. Instead, I used it as a catalyst to make me stronger than I have ever been in my life. Before the diagnosis, I already saw the health benefits of Stand Up Paddle boarding. This coupled with the media attention I received for being Croatia’s first Stand Up Paddle boarder, I decided that I wanted to make a grand gesture for “making it out alive.” Before I was even done with chemotherapy, I looked at the Adriatic and thought, ‘I’m gonna cross it.’ I knew that training for this adventure would make me stronger than ever and, at the same time, attract enough media attention to raise awareness for this much needed piece of medical equipment, the PET/CT scanner.
DK: Outline a typical training day for us. How do you prep? Do you eat any special foods? Is there anyone out there with you while training? Are you afraid of a shark attack? Do you have time to sleep? Are you secretly Superman?
BK: After chemo, I flew back to the U.S. and surprised my Mom. She did not know I was coming, so when I showed up, she was speechless. She thought I was in Split. I was in LA for six weeks and then quickly returned to Dubrovnik to start my training. During April, I paddled everyday, 25-30 kilometers on average. In May, my new racing Stand Up Paddle board arrived and, by that time, I was ready to pick up the pace. I started paddling 40-60 kilometers every third day. At the same time, I started to realize that rest was as important as paddling. The day after a long paddle I would spend in bed. I am on a 5000 calorie per day diet, eating mostly chicken and brown rice. I also drink protein shakes three times a day. When I paddle, I eat a banana every hour and an occasional Snickers candy bar for a boost in energy. My last paddle was my longest: 90 kilometer in 16 hours. Next week I am going to Zagreb to paddle 100 kilometers on the Sava River from the Slovenian border, through the middle of Zagreb to Sisak.
Kvartuč eloquently avoided to answer the direct question of if he really was in fact the real Superman –we suspect a cover up—but, he does mention looking for his own Lois Lane later in the interview…read on!
BK: Sleep is very, very important. The longer I paddle, the more I sleep. The day after a long paddle, I need at least 12 hours of sleep. During April, my body was constantly sore, but, recently, my body has obviously gotten used to all the working out and the soreness has lessened. I now do a pushup routine on my off days from paddling and can do up to 250 pushups.
250 pushups? That certainly sounds like Superman! No worries, Branimir. Your secret is safe with us!
DK: What’s your favorite quote?
BK: For the longest time my favorite quote was: ‘Tutte le strade portano a Roma,’ which translates to ‘All roads lead to Rome.’ However, recently I found myself saying the following phrase a lot which is used frequently in the Croatian culture and language: SVE SE MOZE! (translation: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!)
DK: There are some people in this world who are afraid to be alone with their own thoughts or even more afraid to know what others may be thinking. What crosses your mind while you are training alone with only you and the sea for entertainment?
BK: Even though I have my iPhone with its waterproof casing and earphones with me at all times, I do have that alone feeling that you are talking about. I think that many of us get so distracted with all our other obligations, that we do not give proper time to our own thoughts. I spend so much time alone on the board and it gives me enough time to sort out the details of my path. I think it’s healthy and necessary to have some alone time in your life.
DK: We here at the CNYLA enjoy stories of “growing up ethnic.” Do you have any funny/embarrassing tales of your Croatian-American childhood?
BK: The only story I really have is that starting at the age of six or seven, I had to be an interpreter, help fill out paper work, and answer phones. I was a total professional personal assistant before the age of 10. I hate thinking about it–it hurts my brain even today! It’s part of the assimilation process, but I think it might have been too much for a kid that young. It could be the reason I’ve held on to my youthful outlook towards life…I have a lot of making up to do. 
DK: Besides raising funds for medical equipment for the town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, what other goals do you have during this journey? What are your goals once you complete your mission across the Adriatic?
BK: Three days after I cross the Adriatic Sea, I am opening a Stand Up Paddle tour in Dubrovnik called “Stand Up Croatia.” For the entire summer of 2010, tourists and Croatians will have an opportunity to experience what I experience every day–walking on water on the Adriatic Sea. It is the most amazing feeling! Stand Up Paddle boarding is exploding all over the world. If you take a quick look the celebrity magazines you will see all the Hollywood celebs doing it. Croatia is no longer behind the “modern world.” I believe Stand Up Croatia will bring the sport to new heights and propel sport’s popularity altogether. There is no place in the world better for this sport and this summer it will be available in Croatia!
Also, after the summer is over, I want to get back to my roots as a photographer beginning with a project that I have been wanting to do for a long time: photograph all the living KINGS of the world. I’m assuming the project could take up to ten years to complete, but I think I will start it before Christmas.
DK: What do you want to do or be when you grow up?
BK: Share myself and my energy with someone who deserves it. :)
DK: Did you ever think you would be in the Guinness book of World Records?
BK: Not consciously, but yes. When I was very young, I used to watch that show, “That’s Incredible!” and always thought that I would do something incredible like they did in the show.
DK: You are stuck on an island and can only load one artist onto your iPod. What mp3 album would you play?
BK: Easy. Jack Johnson!
DK: Facebook or Twitter?
BK: Another easy one. Facebook! Twitter is soooo impersonal…
DK: Who or what is your biggest inspiration? Who has had the biggest influence in your life?
BK: Reality TV! It all started with Survivor. I wanted to be on that show sooo badly. I tried about three times. Amazing Race is another one and MTV’s Made.
All these shows are about normal, average people accomplishing some amazing things and/or creating something out from nothing. When I didn’t make it on any of the shows, I decided that I would just do it on my own without any cameras following me. The weird thing is, the cameras have started to follow me now.
DK: Would you consider yourself a role model to young Croatian-Americans and to young people around the world?
BK: I hate admitting this, but yes! My brother Ante is a young Croatian-American and I could not be more proud to be a role model to him. He is doing some incredibly positive things and I am glad to lead by example. He is the co-founder of www.CroatianSoccerReport.com. I urged him to use his knowledge and talent to assemble the content that he psots. He is almost single handedly uniting Croatians around the world.
DK: Name your all-time favorite book, movie and television show.
BK: Outliers by Malcom Gladwell, Euro Trip, Entourage
DK: They say a picture is worth a thousand words. How does one capture your great effort when you are the one usually behind the camera? Do you think anyone will ever capture your passion on film while you paddle for this immense cause?
BK: I hope so. However, if they don’t, the photos that I submitted for this CNYLA article were taken by me. I use a specifically made point of view camera called a Go Pro Camera. If the others fail, I will succeed.
DK: What is the first thing you want to do once you complete the 130 kilometer paddle across the Adriatic?
BK: Find a girlfriend…
For all the ladies interested, feel free to contact him via his blog.
DK: What is the most valuable lesson you have learned in life?
BK: Networking is not a dirty word. Build your network, build bridges, work together, support each other, and ask for help! When you fall down, pick yourself up again. Life is short–do it all now!
Editor’s note: To date, Kvartuč has raised only €10,000 towards his goal of €50,000 for funds towards the purchase of a PET/CT scanner for Dubrovnik hospital. He has received sponsorship support from C4 Waterman and Adriatic Travel, but a major sponsor is still needed to reach his goal. Kvartuč is relying on the power of the new stream of journalism through web 2.0 and social media to help his cause. We here at CNYLA believe in the very same philosophy and strive to use all resources to network and support each other in our communities.
PLEASE VISIT THE LIBERTAS FOUNDATION and CLICK THE DONATE BUTTON TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION FOR BRANIMIR’S FUNDRAISING EFFORTS.
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A special thanks to our board member Danny Dabo. Without his dedication to the Croatian community and extensive networking skills, this article would not be possible. Helping others is what we are dedicated to here at the CNYLA and we could not be prouder to have Danny on our board. Thank you for all your hardwork and talent. Cheers!
