After setting off from Gran Canaria just outside the African continent on December 12, two brave young men are now on the final leg of their transatlantic rowing challenge, all in the aid of a good cause.
If everything goes well, they will soon grace Barbados’ shores after their trek across the Atlantic Ocean.
Alex Bland and Harry Martin-Dreyer have spent nearly seven weeks as part of their Rowing 4 Research challenge, and now their destination of Port St Charles, along the shoreline of St Peter, is tantalizingly close. The school friends, who both hail from Shrewsbury in Shropshire, in England, left their jobs in the City of London to take on the challenge and have raised over Bds$400 000 for JDRF, the Type 1 diabetes charity, and Birmingham-based Cure Leukaemia.
The pair even celebrated Christmas and New Year’s on board Alexandra, their trusty vessel named after Harry’s mother who sadly passed away in March last year from leukaemia.
Bland’s brother Ross lives with type 1 diabetes, a chronic, life-threatening condition that has a life-long impact. These personal stories were what compelled them to take on the waves and embark on a remarkable test of human endurance late last year.
Their progress has been steady, but not without perils and unforgettable experiences along the way. After delaying their departure until the trade winds were in their favour, that decision has proven prudent as they have enjoyed a very impressive pace throughout.
Massive waves they have nicknamed “sidewinders” have battered and bruised them mentally and physically. Blisters, sores, extreme heat, exhaustion and mind-numbing boredom have tested their strengths to the limit but never has it broken their will to complete the crossing. Amongst the challenges they have faced, there have also been moments of contemplation and levity.
They have witnessed pods of dolphins, schools of whales, sharks and flying fish – the latter causing hilarity on board as both men have experienced a slap in the face whilst rowing. They have also lost most of their excess body fat and are sporting beards of varying quality.
The end of their 3 000-mile journey is now only days away and their family and friends are preparing to fly over to Barbados to give them a glorious welcome onto the island.
Michael Connellan, senior media manager at JDRF said: “Harry and Alex have proved themselves phenomenal fund-raisers as well as athletes. Among the long list of heroic challenges that people have undertaken to support type 1 diabetes research, this stands out as something truly exceptional. Their magnificent journey is taking us closer to finding a cure for type 1 diabetes, a condition which affects 400 000 people in the UK alone.”
“We have the utmost admiration for Harry and Alex. Their drive and determination to complete this remarkable challenge is truly inspirational for everyone connected with Cure Leukaemia,” James McLaughlin, chief cxecutive of Cure Leukaemia, said.