No turning back now!

Row Across The Pond
Richard Hoyland and Steve Coe
Tue 3 Nov 2009 20:55
Our challenge to compete in the Atlantic Rowing Race has been through a few significant milestones along the way...being accepted into the race, buying a boat, first time on the water, first 24 hour row...but the point of no return has been and gone. Our boat, all our food and equipment has been shipped out of Tilbury Docks on a container ship to the Canaries.

This is the culmination of two years of hard work to pull together enough sponsorship to get to the start line. From this point on it starts to become totally about rowing that 23ft piece of plywood, carbon fibre and fibreglass across a rather large ocean...and on the way trying to raise as much money for the British Heart Foundation. The biggest thanks must go to our sponsors who have shown fantastic support in our charity challenge.

Up until now, most of my personal sporting challenges have revolved around marathons or triathlons, where the majority of your time is spent on endless miles of pounding the pavements, Sundays on the race bike or countless laps of the pool. This one is a completely different prospect...now the preparation is done, the reality of being out at sea for 60+ days can sink in as in exactly three weeks time I get on a flight to the Canaries to the race start!
We've got a good number of hours rowing our under our belts in the boat, but I don't think that rowing on the Thames or just off the coast off of Shoreham is quite in the same league. Of course I'm only guessing, as the next bit of the journey is a step into the unknown :-) But wouldn't life be dull if we didn't push ourselves a little now and then.

Many of you have already donated to the BHF via the website, but it anyone would like to help out please go to http://www.justgiving.com/rowacrossthepond/
We want to raise significant funds for the British Heart Foundation/Princess Alice Hospice and your support would be very much appreciated. I'll be in constant touch during the journey and hope to post a few blogs on Bupa live / Community Connections.

 

Richard