2024 Race Entrants

Since I was a child I always wanted to be a captain and sail the seas. Well, at least up to the time at which my mother tried to explain to me that I had to have a high school graduation and had to study to get a ship master´s certificate.

However this was not possible as already one of my brothers was studying and we were not able to afford another student (we were six children and my father had a very low income). After some time I returned to my mother beaming with joy and I told her proudly: “ If I cannot be a captain I will be a seaman!”

I made my dream come true in that extent that I served for four years in the German Navy and sailed as crew member on a restored training sailing ship named “Roald Amundsen” for some years.

For several years I have been enthusiastic about kayaking.

During my gym teacher training I also started to run and since then I mastered some marathons.

As a “personal fitness trainer” I will be able to prepare myself well for the physical challenges.

Being a sport psychologist will surely be very helpful during this long trip.

Having followed the race for a number of years, I’m very excited to be taking part in 2024 and learn about various aspects of ocean rowing. I have always loved the outdoors, new adventures and trying different challenges, whether it’s mountaineering, rock climbing, kayaking or hiking. Ocean rowing however is somewhat new to me and I’ll figuratively and literally be throwing myself in the deep end preparing for this challenge.

 By taking part I firstly hope to make a positive impact on diversity in adventure sport and rowing. Lack of diversity in outdoor activities has always been apparent to me and while there are various reasons for this, I hope to offer some form of representation to women and people of colour.

In completing this challenge, I would become the first woman of colour to row solo across an ocean and I hope by participating that one day women and people of colour in adventure sport isn’t something distinctive, but the norm.

Through this challenge, I’ll be fundraising for two charities both of personal importance to me: the Mental Health Foundation and Deenabandhu Trust.Despite growing rates of mental illness globally, it is still unfairly stigmatised in a way physical illness is not and the MHF works to prevent mental ill health through community led projects as well as trying to change negative perceptions surrounding mental health.

Deenabandhu Trust is a non-profit in southern India founded by my uncle which provides a children’s home and school for orphaned and impoverished children, which I’ve been lucky enough to be part of for many years. As a result of their scholarship programme, children from Deenabandhu have gone on to become architects, nurses, engineers and social workers, who would otherwise have very few options in life, open to poverty and exploitation.

 Please see my website for more details and contact information. I look forward to sharing my journey with you!

Comin Soon!

Why you would like to do the row?:

I’ve visited some mountains, some deserts, some cold siberian winters, some rainy monsoon and some burning summer.
I went to Space… on Earth; testing my limits during some European Space Agency experiment.
I still have to feel the sea, to cross it, to get some waves on my face. So why not to cross the Atlantic? Child, I was dreaming while listening to stories from Gerard d’Aboville, Maud Fontenoy or Alain Bombard. For 20 years, I have been waiting for rowing an Ocean! Today it is time.

With Atlantic 4800, I am not looking to break a record. I will race against myself, for the Oceans and for Science.
For the Oceans, as we all need to protect and understand them, if we want that free space not to shrink away. That is why I will row for 2 charities, Polar Pod and 1 Ocean, both aiming to study the Oceans and raise awareness through knowledge, putting the exploration at the service of the protection of the Oceans.

1 Ocean: together with the UNESCO, aims to explore the unexplored, document explorations and above all, transmit knowledge of the ocean
Polar Pod: Driven by the circumpolar current, like a satellite around Antarctica, Polar POD will allow the acquisition of data and long-term observations of the Southern Ocean, a major player in the climate and marine biodiversity reserve but still widely unknown.

In parallel to these charities, I will myself be a subject of experiments linked to the European Space Agency: alone floating on an empty Space, living on a closed isolated vessel with minimum comfort and sparse connection to the ground, eating dried rations and adapting the sleep rhythm to the Ocean life. Crossing an ocean on a rowing boat is somewhat the closest on Earth to living in Space.

Why do this row? Middle age should be anything but beige! As a single, post-menopausal mum with my youngest daughter on the cusp of leaving home, I could choose this mum-moment to sit on the sofa with a bottle of red and binge-watch programmes on the telly!
But that’s not me. I don’t want to slow down, stop and settle but do something ‘Mumentous’ with my life instead. By the time the race starts, I’ll be 59 and I want to learn something new and challenge myself to strive for more than I thought I’d ever do. I also want to prove that even people like me can achieve a new Guinness World Record while they are at it! In the process, I’d like to inspire others, especially fellow pre and post-menopausal ’empty-nesters’ to take on challenges they may have considered impossible or didn’t previously feel they had the time and energy for. The time is now and this is our moment.
I truly believe it’s never too late and that’s what this WTR 2024 ‘Mumentous’ Atlantic row is all about for me.

Together, let’s help end LGBTQ+ stigma because who you love should not be a death sentence.

Nearly one-third of all nations classify LGBTQ+ people as criminals and in 13 countries homosexuality is punishable by death. This makes it difficult for LGBTQ+ communities, still one of the groups disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, to get the healthcare they need. We have the science to stop all new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, but the epidemic remains largely because the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ stigma persist.

I am the Atlantic Rocketman, and this year I will be rowing solo 3,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic in a race called The World’s Toughest Row. I am fundraising for the Elton John AIDS Foundation to help end LGBTQ+ stigma. Together, we can make this a reality.

The Elton John AIDS Foundation provides meaningful and tangible support for LGBTQ+ communities and I am honoured to be partnering with them. Together, we are focused on ending LGBTQ+ stigma, helping empower the LGBTQ+ community towards greater rights and health equity, which will in turn accelerate an AIDS-free future.

I believe that engaging in allyship helps transform lives and bring about meaningful change. Will you join me in the fight to end LGBTQ+ stigma and strive towards an AIDS-free future? I would be so grateful for your support by donating via the QR code below or by visiting www.atlanticrocketman.com.

I will row with pride as we collectively work towards a brighter, more inclusive future.

Thank you

Nicky and Bob are rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to go always a little further; to raise money for charity; and to stay forever young!

To be honest, it is quite special what we are going to do. Participate in the WORLD’S TOUGHEST ROW – ATLANTIC 2024. Crossing an ocean in a small rowingboat is remarkable enough in itself, but as brother and sister together makes it quite unique. The goal is not just the greatest adventure or boost our own ego either. With this adventure, we want to make a substantial contribution to our chosen charities: Special Olympics Netherlands and the Plastic Soup Foundation. For people and planet.

Astrid (56) participated in TWAC2020. As she was rowing in the middle of the ocean, she thought “This is epic, I want to do this with Eric!” Meanwhile, following his sister on her journey via social media, Eric (59), who is an endurance athlete, came up with almost the same idea. The decision was made quickly.

Karl and Ed have been good friends for over 11 years, having met through having children in the same school. Ed is a former PADI Master Scuba diving trainer and now concentrates his sporting pursuits on road cycling, running and football coaching. Karl is a keen rower, runner, gym goer and footballer. Both are members of Maidenhead Rowing Club and also still play football together at 5-a-side each week alongside a group of friends that are also old enough to know better!

It was whilst watching a family member row the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge during the 2020 race that the bug, very unexpectedly, bit Karl. It didn’t take too long to convince Ed of the epic nature of the challenge and team ‘2Stroke’ was born.

The requirements to take on the Atlantic Challenge are massive. Determination, fitness, mental strength, self-belief and a touch of madness. Whilst we both have a keen sense of adventure, we were novice rowers before signing up to this challenge. We are now keen members of our local rowing club but we have both been ‘land rowers’ with gym memberships for many years. We also both thrive on being told that we can’t (or shouldn’t!) do something and would love to show our children that you can do anything you put your mind to. The wives are going to be harder to convince!

Having recently conquered Kilimanjaro the introduction to this race came at a time we were looking for something to get our teeth into. Although over 2 years away, this row already has a grip on us and we look forward to preparing ourselves in the best way possible, learning new skills and making memories that will last a lifetime. 

We are supporting two charities with our fundraising, both of which have close family relevance. Our first charity is Dementia UK. The Alzheimer’s Society reports there are over 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today. This is an awful condition, robbing families of loved ones often years before their physical bodies deteriorate. Karl having a family member suffering from this disease makes us only more determined to raise funds and increase awareness.

Our second charity of choice is Prostate Cancer UK. Ed has family that have battled Prostate Cancer and has experienced the devastating effects on family life. There are around 11,900 prostate cancer deaths in the UK every year, that’s 32 every day. In males in the UK, prostate cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer death. We were able to raise £8000 during our Kilimanjaro trip to support their amazing work and we will be looking to do all we can to raise funds and awareness for them during our row. 

First love lasts forever!

Carla lost her heart on a bike tour through the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe. Katrin’s first love was the thru-hike on the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. The travel fever shaped the two teammates and demanded a continuation: Carla rowed across the Atlantic in a team of four as part of the TWAC in 2019, and Katrin followed the challenge from home.
These experiences have reawakened the spirit of adventure in both of them and allowed them to dream again – and dreams are here to be fulfilled!

There are 3,000 miles across the Atlantic and just as many reasons not to row it! But as Ian Couch, Head Safety Officer of the World’s Toughest Row, puts it perfectly in two sentences: “There is something very special about being out in the ocean. It’s not about rowing 3’000 miles”.

We are aware that physical and mental exhaustion, impressive forces of nature and great challenges await us every day. But hey: “Everything is beautiful – everything hurts!” We want to be enchanted by the simplicity, freedom and the awareness of holding an everlasting gift in our hands. Because we agree on one thing: Emotionally, the really hard part only begins after entering the harbour in Antigua.

So here we are: Ocean, let’s be part of your magic!

It all started with the book Four mums in a boat: Friends who rowed 3000 miles, broke a world record and learned a lot about life along the way by Benaddi, Butters, Davies & Doeg.

Claudia read this book in 2019 and after finishing it she was immediately sure that one day she would take part in the race too. The dream was born. The only question was: alone or in a team?

The only one who would be considered as a partner was Ernst, so there were many talks about the World’s Toughest Row and the participation. In the end, the choice was clear: Claudia would start – together with Ernst; as a team of 2. But when?

Nikki from Atlantic Campaigns should remedy this. And so, after some email correspondence with her, the start date was found: 2024! The forms were filled out and signed, the first entry fee paid and the confirmation came from Nikki: 2024 – you’re in!

The joy was and still is huge. Why? This challenge is in complete contrast to the sporting activities that we usually do. Living in southern Bavaria, we spend a lot of time in the mountains. Longer, higher and more difficult is not uncommon for us. We have grown together as a team and complement each other very well. So we already know the mountains and the challenges they entail. But the sea? This is something completely different and unknown to us. A new great adventure and a dream that will come true now. Why not? Dreams set goals and goals can be achieved.

We are proud to be able to support Sternstunden e.V.; an aid organization where 100% of the donations go directly to those in need.

For 30 years, Sternstunden e.V. has been taking responsibility for sick, disabled and needy children – in Bavaria, in Germany and worldwide and helps as quickly and easily as possible. Thanks to the willingness of many people to help, Sternstunden has supported 3.879 children’s aid projects, since its foundation in 1993. At Sternstunden e.V., every donation is guaranteed to be passed on to children in need without any deductions. The administrative costs are covered with the help of their association members and income from asset management. In order to improve the living conditions of the affected children in the long term, Sternstunden e.V. attaches great importance to the sustainable impact of the projects. A large number of the project sponsors receive multiple funding so that proven aid measures can be guaranteed and expanded in the long term.

Bio is on its way

Make-A-Wish, thats why my son and i will participate in the World’s Toughest Row Atlantic. The Make-A-Wish foundation believes in the healing power of wishes. Thats why they fulfil the hearts desire of children between 3 and 18 years old with a life-threatening medicaldisease. Because if a child can believe that his wish will come true, then he can also believe that he will get better!

It’s our wish to row this race, to have an absolute fabulous mother-son time, to set a great time and above all; to make as much as possible wishes come true.

Check our website for more information: www.yallahgotwac.com

“We are all better than we know, if only we can be brought to realise this, we may never be prepared to settle for anything less”. Kurt Hahn

Embarking on this monumental challenge holds profound significance for both of us, given our extensive connection to the sea throughout our lives. Whether floating atop it, immersed in its depths or beneath its surface, the ocean has consistently exerted an irresistible allure, drawing us back time and again. Now, in our 40s and 50s, as life hurtles forward at an alarming speed, we stand at the threshold of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It goes without saying that this row will take courage, wisdom and a resilience beyond anything we’ve encountered before. As a duo, our conviction firmly rests in the understanding that we are stronger together, collaborating as a team to accomplish something far greater than we could ever contemplate doing alone.

Every team has a unique narrative, and ours is one of donation and overcoming adversity. With one of us recently making a kidney transplant donation and the other facing her own kidney complications, our journey has not been without its challenges. Against this backdrop, Lightship aims to serve as a beacon, illuminating the courage to face life one step at a time and the transformative power of regeneration. We are committed to supporting Kidney Wales, raising awareness for Elkhorn Marine Conservancy, dedicated to the vital regeneration of reef life in Antigua, and extending our support to Epilepsy Action for their invaluable work.

So with Kurt Hahn’s words echoing in our ears and the call of the ocean being received loud and clear, we dare to dream and will push ourselves beyond our perceived limits to achieve something extraordinary.

Team parOARmedics are three student paramedics currently in their third year at the University of Bradford. We combine a special blend of loving a challenge, being mad enough to try and put together a campaign while studying and working in the prehospital environment, and a desire to do some good at the same time. Oddly enough we all also happen to enjoy the odd (frequent) wee dram.

The idea came to Ken whilst trawling through the web looking for an ocean bound adventure to pursue. As soon as Ken saw the World’s Toughest Row he knew he had to do it. As with many before him he just needed to find someone who could be convinced rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic was indeed a grand adventure. Cue Tom and Ethan, one look at the race video and a quick handshake in the skills lab and a team was born and an adventure launched.

We are looking forward to sharing our adventure with you, so keep checking in on us as we launch our campaign and follow us on social media and be a part of our adventure.

HMS Oardacious are back for the 2024 race with the Royal Navy’s first all-female crew, the Valkyries. After an incredibly successful crossing by the 2023 crew being crowned overall winners of the race, the HMS Oardacious Valkyries will be next to take on the challenge onboard Captain Jim. Our sponsors have the unique opportunity to be part of this historic event and support women in defence, leadership, adventure and STEM. 

As a collective, we have represented the Fleet Air Arm, Surface Fleet and Submarine Service on countless operations both in the UK and overseas and aim to promote and encourage young women into traditionally underrepresented roles, both in and out of the Royal Navy. Our mental resilience feeds our physical endurance and look forward to learning what it is that makes teams adapt and thrive.

All based at different locations across the UK, the road to La Gomera will mean we will for the most part be training independently and getting as many expeditions on Captain Jim as we can, preparing to take on the extreme unpredictable Atlantic.

Our original motivation was wanting to complete an expedition which would well and truly push our physical and mental boundaries in a way they had not been tested before. However, the hectic nature of student life meant the row got pushed down our list of priorities. That was until a pair of tragic incidents in recent years – two friends unexpectedly took their own lives. This provided the impetus to seriously commit to the row and to raise money for MIND. The desire to honour their memory will be with us for every oar stroke across the Atlantic. It is also worth noting sibling rivalry as an important motivation behind the row! From 2017 to 2018, two school friends, Joe and Ross, tragically and unexpectedly took their own lives. Both possessed enormous, vivacious personalities which still burn brightly in the lives of their families and friends. Joe and Ross were both intelligent, confident, outgoing, devilishly good looking, and surrounded by loyal and loving friends. Nevertheless, they were afflicted by the horrific problem of mental health issues. Their experiences highlight the fact that even lives filled with love, laughter and success are not safe. Suicide is now the leading cause of death for under-35s in the UK and it is estimated that 1 in 4 people experience a mental health issue every year. We are proud to do our little bit to help fight mental health problems by completing this row. The desire to honour the memories of Joe and Ross will be with us for every oar stroke across the Atlantic Ocean. We are thrilled to have both of their families supporting our fundraising efforts for MIND.

I think we hit the jackpot when we all met up with each other and kind of knew that from the off that we would get on well, bringing in our individual strengths, personalities and characters.

We came together through World’s Toughest Row and knew, that with very different backgrounds and professions we all had one thing in common. This race. This adventure.

John’s daughter Yasmin has Lyme Disease and this is our major charity that we will have in mind when we are in our highs and lows of our weeks on the high seas, drawing inspiration from those who we can directly help through our fundraising.

Niall and Sam have had the adventure bug for a while, but for John he’s thrown himself into the (very) deep end to raise such a huge awareness of Lyme disease. This is his first foray into adventure unknown, but one that we will all experience together as a strong and confident team.

We are all super excited to be part of this whole campaign and cannot wait for our race start in 2024.

It started, as many of these things do, as a bit of a chat down the pub six or seven years ago. Now we have thrown our hats over the wall, paid the deposit and are fully committed to the whole challenge. We are all excited about the experiences that lay ahead. Raising funds, raising awareness of key environmental issues and the possibility of building a four man boat, to specification, from recycled materials. Dan, who is passionate about the idea of Circularity and making full use of waste materials, set up his company, Circular&Co in his garden shed some eighteen years ago and will be leading the design process. By using recycled materials we hope to inspire and educate everyone about Circular Design and why we must all welcome circularity into our everyday lives. Jason is a physiotherapist and passionate about medical and mental health. Both of these will very much be tested during the crossing and many lessons learned. He will also be looking after our ageing bodies and helping older athletes, who may want to tune in, learn to stay fit. Jon and Steve are both teachers and are looking forward to trying to deliver all sorts of lessons, if technology allows. In addition we will be working with Plymouth University running various tests and gathering data during the crossing. We all hope to be able to deliver some inspiring and memorable lessons, from the middle of the Atlantic on a whole range of topics focusing on the theme “We’re Changing Tomorrow Together.”

We, the Atlantik Breakers, are all very sporty and asked ourselves what is the bigger challenge besides the Marathon … Then we found out about this project (crossing the Atlantic with a rowboat.) We knew we were going to be our new adventure be.

We’re rowing an ocean to help inspire young people within our local community to pursue a life of adventure. We’re aiming to visit upwards of 50 schools, reaching close to 37,500 young people, whilst also carry 3000 Pixels provided by our local community across the ocean with us.

Each rower has selected a specific charity to represent during the course of the row. Dafydd – British Heart Foundation and Alan and Josh – CALM

Our team is taking part in World’s Toughest Row in 2024 to raise awareness of the enriching contribution of the ETS to the Army offer. Made up of four officers from the Educational and Training Services branch of the British Army, we know a thing or two about discipline and getting the best out of people. We’ll need these skills during the challenge.

And our Charities is:

– ABF, The Soldiers’ Charity is the Army’s national charity; here for soldiers, past and present, and their families for life. From helping wounded soldiers to adapt to life after service, to assisting elderly veterans to keep their independence, we’re here for the Army family when they need us. We offer support in six key areas: independent living, elderly care, education and employability, mental fitness, families and housing.

We are a team of five father’s setting out with a combined goal of rowing 5,000 kilometres across the Atlantic Ocean in support of 1 amazing girl and on a mission to raise badly needed funds for 2 critical charities.

This row is in memory of Saoirse O’Driscoll and we are committed to raising €250,000 for children born with congenital heart disease in Ireland. Saoirse, Superhero to her Dad and crew member John, sadly passed away in April 2024. Conor, Daragh, Enda, Roger and her Dad John strive to continue Saoirse’s legacy by raising awareness of congenital heart disease and promoting the life-saving importance of organ donation

Oars Of Thunder are four Cornish Pilot Gig Rowers from a small Cornish town called Looe. We all have an absolute love of rowing, the sea and quirky physical and mental challenges.

Each one of us has had a dream sparked by someone who has rowed the Atlantic before and the universe has bought us together (it was Kim actually!) to take on this challenge ourselves. Now it is our turn to inspire ordinary people like us to take on and experience extraordinary challenges like this.

It’s going to be a ball and we are looking forward to sharing all of our experiences along the way, the good, bad, beautiful and ugly.

We have chosen the RNLI as our charity. With Nathaniel having served on the lifeboat crew for over 10 years and all of us having an attachment to the sea, we all respect the unforgiving forces of Mother Nature and the importance of our lifeboat service.

By crossing the Atlantic 100% vegan we put out an important statement. Through our platform in ‘The World’s Toughest Row’, we will raise financial support and awareness for one organization on the frontline of fighting for sustainable marine protection. 

We are all friends who are born in Plymouth and have a close relationship with the sea.  Individually we would like to challenge ourselves, but sharing that experience between us is important. Our wives and children think we are mad, we may be!

Cancer has affected one of our crew and is a cause we would like to support through helping fund the Mustard tree cancer support unit. One of our crew has set up a charity centered around rugby values and the great work clubs and coaches do especially with young children.  It is called the Star Scheme.

Force Atlantic are back! This time we are the Army’s first all-female team to row the Atlantic and any ocean. We are a team of 12 women, covering seven cap badges, both officers and soldiers, regular and reserve. Although the boat only has four seats, we have a full team supporting us through the campaign, comprising of six rowers and six support team members.

Why we are doing this:

We want to PROMOTE women, both in and out of the military, and tell our stories.

We want to INSPIRE others, through humility, humour and inclusivity, to believe that anything really is possible.

We want to BELONG to something that is bigger than ourselves, to a community of strong, likeminded women.

The forty days or so we will spend at sea will only make up a small part of our journey. Once we land, we will continue to encourage our community to push beyond the perceived possible.

We are 1 soldier veteran and 3 police veterans in the boat. All with PTSD injuries from the job serving our country. We are crossing the Atlantic Ocean because we want to challenge our limits and come home as a stronger and better person for our selfs and especially for our families and nearest friends.

We also want to focus on our sisters and Brothers in blue. We want tell and show that Thin Blue Line Denmark takes care of the injuried Danish police officers. We also hope to raise money for Thin Blue Line Denmark, so they can help those, who needs help.

// Together we stand stronger//

For the past 10 years Julie has stood on the bow of a yacht during Antigua Regatta season watching the Atlantic boats cross the finish line in English Harbour. It became her quiet dream to row an Ocean and each year she took a step closer. Julie is a competitive rower for Christchurch Rowing Club and also has a keen interest in sail racing and cruising, so is no stranger to the coastline and more recently sailing across the Bay of Biscay double handed. Julie is a mum to strapping young men who are just embarking on their own life paths. So it is now time for her own adventure to row and Ocean. Julie runs her own company in Financial Services as a Financial Planner in Christchurch, Dorset.

Ed lives in Shepherds Bush, London, and heads up a PR and communications team at RSM UK, a global business consultancy firm in the city. He has an 8 year old son, Angus. They can often be spotted surfing the breaks off the North Devon coast. As a winter-sports enthusiast and ex-Army reservist Ed enjoys the thrill of physical exertion. He has a passion for mountaineering, having summitted some of Europe’s most challenging peaks. Whilst his sea-faring experience doesn’t match that of the rest of his crew, he is no stranger to it. He grew up sailing wayfarers in the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, and fishing off the west coast of Scotland. He has since kayaked across the English Channel from the Kent coast to France, and has circumnavigated the Isle of Mull. The past decade or so hasn’t come without its setbacks, including a skiing accident in 2011 which ended his plans of a military tour in Afghanistan, and marked the start of a five-year rehabilitation. The challenges he has faced over the years have helped shape a growing sense of purpose and determination to achieve something special. And so the prospect of a wee paddle across a very large pond has only grown.

Sally works at a local Hotel in Christchurch, The Captains Club, which she has been a part of since it opened 18 years ago, with a small gap for children in the middle! Sally was born and raised in Christchurch and is a busy Mother of two boys with Husband Andy, which include mountain biking, being top of the list for the boys, followed by sailing, skiing, surfing and rugby. It’s now with the family’s approval she takes on her next big adventure. Sally is a keen rower at her local Rowing Club in Christchurch with Julie. She has competed in various Coastal Four races as Womens Juniors and Masters and won the South Coast Championships at Dorney lake. Before taking up rowing she was a keen sailor and part of a crew based in Southampton, taking on various voyages such as The Fastnet Race, round the Island and the Classics Regatta in St Tropez. Her favorite was crossing the Atlantic which is one of Sally’s memorable achievements. Since then has wanted to return to the Ocean and rowing across the Atlantic is the next challenge on her bucket list!

The Atlantic Sea Donkeys are an international team of kayakers, climbers, skiers and bikers who, after countless individual adventures, have teamed up to take on the world’s toughest row.
Between us, we’ve climbed in the Dolomites, bike-packed Australia, white-water kayaked on New Zealand’s West Coast, run across Tasmania and cycled from London to Istanbul but we’ve never crossed an ocean… 

The World’s Toughest Row combines our love of unique experiences, adventure sports, and type 2 fun. Taking on a challenge like this with close friends is an incredible growth, learning, and lifelong memory opportunity, and we think it’s going to be absolutely unreal! We’re also eager to use this as a platform to promote our charity GiveDirectly.

GiveDirectly is a nonprofit that lets donors send money directly to the world’s poorest. GiveDirectly believe people living in poverty deserve the dignity to choose for themselves how best to improve their lives — cash enables that choice. Since 2009, they’ve delivered $700M+ in cash directly into the hands of over 1.5 million people living in poverty across fourteen countries. 

We’ve chosen GiveDirectly because we agree with their effective, research-based, bottom-up approach to solving poverty. It’s motivating to know that the funds we raise will go straight into the hands of real people, giving them the agency to change their own lives.

In December 2024, the Deep Blue Crew will leave La Gomera and head unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean, with two goals; to have an amazing adventure and raise as much as possible for our three charities: Tusk Trust, the Clocktower Foundation and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

My Name’5 Doddie: With all of our crew being from sporty, athletic backgrounds, we want to support the community of sport and all those affected globally by the devastating effects of MND.

Tusk: With two of our crew having been brought up in Kenya and the other two having close links, we are very excited to be partnering with Tusk and the incredible work they do.

Clocktower Foundation: The Clocktower Foundation has given us the ability to kickstart our campaign by partnering with us and we are thrilled to be working alongside such a fantastic organisation. 

As we all into the colloquial term for half way through your life ’Middle Aged’ and after 3 bottles of red wine, we all knew we needed a new massive challenge. This challenge really sets to evaluate your mental and physical aptitude to its limits, and we want to know how we fare. Along side this everyone wants to leave some form of legacy in their lives and this challenge, this will be ours!

Ronald McDonald House Charities Provides a home away from home at 14 houses across the UK which are tied to specialist hospitals. If your child is sick, you may be placed in a hospital 00’s of miles away needing accommodation for extensive periods, which can be a huge financial burden at a time when you should be focused on your child. RMHC has helped of 60,000 families stay close to their young ones and provided emotional and wellbeing support to parents, siblings, and extended family members since 1989. Our challenge could raise up to 3,000 nights for families globally to be next to their children in their greatest hour of need.

Coming Soon!

Our crew of four is from the gig rowing community in Cornwall and former members of the Armed Forces.   We have lived and worked in Cornwall, and all four of us continue to have strong ties to the County.   We are very pleased to work with the Cornish charity Invictus Trust, in supporting adolescent mental health in Cornwall.   Through the epic World’s Toughest Row we aim to educate, inform and raise funds for Invictus Trust, and are proud to call our boat Invictus Atlantic.

Luke Morgan:
Ex Royal Navy Helicopter Pilot with a love of all things sport, travel, festivals and adventure.  The Atlantic Rowing Challenge has been talked about for a while and it is now time to tackle it.  I can’t imagine a better group to go on this journey with.  Our chosen charity, Invictus Trust, is very close to my heart in dealing with adolescent mental health issues.  Rowing in support of this amazing charity and the incredible work they do is all the motivation I need to complete the challenge.
Although I live in Norfolk, I work all round the country as Helicopter Instructor / Examiner mainly in the Air Ambulance sector.  I have a deep affiliation with Cornwall having lived and worked there for 12 years; it is where I met and formed a truly lifelong friendship with Jim and Paul.  I have a deep love of the water and am looking forward to the peace and tranquillity of propelling myself across it again (well maybe not that peaceful and tranquil in mid Atlantic – we will see!).  I love having a goal to achieve so here we go.

Paul Hayes:
I am a former Royal Marine Commando and now a teacher and school leader. Married with three children, I have lived in Cornwall for the last 30 years.  I have always been physically active, playing rugby, hill walking, sailing, surfing and kayaking.
Teaching and living in the South West has made me acutely aware of the challenges facing young people with mental health issues and the stretch on resources to support them. Invictus Trust, our chosen charity, have been leaders in making a difference to the lives and futures of young people in Cornwall and the challenge of rowing the Atlantic on their behalf will be a privilege and an inspiration.

James Brittain-Long:
I’m a husband, father of three, businessman, gig rower, rugby and music lover.   Never happier than when at the Glastonbury Festival with family and friends, or rowing in the sea around Cornwall with the Helford River Gig Club.   The Atlantic Challenge has been long discussed amongst the three of us, but the start in December 2024 now seems ominously close!

I live with my family in West Cornwall, close to the Helford River.   Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has given so much to our family and I’m proud to give a little back by raising awareness and money for our chosen charity Invictus Trust, who support adolescent mental health in Cornwall.

The aim of Invictus Trust is to fund quick access to counselling for any young person in Cornwall experiencing mental health difficulties.   With the funds raised by the Atlantic Challenge,  Invictus Trust will launch a stand alone counselling fund to support young people in Cornwall, struggling with their mental health.   This will be a truly ground breaking legacy from this challenge, providing and funding direct support for young people.

David Radford-Wilson

I am a former Royal Engineer Officer, global project director and disaster response and recovery expert with a passion for adventure, the outdoors and making a positive impact on the lives of others.  My desire for adventure has led me to lead a team on the North Face of Mt Everest, run the Marathon de Sables in the Sahara Desert, work in the jungles of Peru and explore many of the more remote parts of the world.
Through my military, disaster response and personal life I have seen the challenges on mental health from many angles and I am honoured to have the opportunity to use our endeavours to raise money for the invaluable work of the Invictus Trust.  

As a keen surfer, I hold a deep affinity, and respect, for the sea and feel incredibly fortunate to be able to experience the magnitude of the Atlantic Ocean with this challenge. I am looking forward to pushing my own physical and mental limits with a great crew to raise awareness and funds in support of adolescent mental health. 

We are a group of people who are always looking for the next big challenge, and collectively we agree it doesn’t get much bigger than this!  Most importantly though, we want to help as many people as possible by raising awareness and funds for our chosen charities.

We are all privileged in that we are healthy enough both physically and mentally to complete the row.  We are rowing for mental health charities, and some of the people they support don’t have the same privilige we have, and we all have very personal reasons why we want to help and raise awareness of these amazing charities.