A ROWING crew including two friends from the Thornbury area has completed an epic 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
Accountant Grant McGregor, from Alveston, and service engineer Tom Curtis, from Thornbury, and teammates Tim Stone, from Devon, and Rhys Owen, from Portsmouth, completed the World’s Toughest Row from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean in 38 days, nine hours and 16 minutes.
They rowed their 30ft ocean rowing boat over the finishing line on January 21 in tenth position in the 43-team challenge.
And so far they have raised more than £11,500 for four charities.
Grant and Tom didn’t know Tim and Rhys, both of whom are serving in the Royal Navy, before the crew was formed.
The four team members each rowed for a minimum of 12 hours a day, every day on board their boat, named Oardrey.
They rowed in pairs in two-hour shifts, leaving them sleep deprived and exhausted at the end of the journey.
Grant said: “Turning into the bay and finish line was overwhelming – it was a sensory overload, hearing the cheers and horns blaring from the old fort, as Tom and Rhys dropped the hammer to battle the winds to get us over the line.
“The media boat was circling us and cheering, and for us it was like an out-of-body experience, just sheer joy at having made it.
“Our families were there to meet us, which was incredibly emotional, and such a special moment.
“We said we thought we would have surprised a lot of people with our performance – we are a team of average guys who wanted to inspire our kids, achieve something extraordinary and raise money for charity.
“We had never set foot on a rowing boat two years ago, our ages spanned 40 years, from 24 to 64 years old, but we prepared well.
“We discussed every eventuality, how to react and cope – we were clear on our goal, not to race, but to keep the boat moving forward at all times, leave everything out there in terms of physical effort.
“Beyond that, our motto was ‘be kind to each other’.
“It was an incredibly stressful and pressurised environment, with no option for escape or release.
“Little frustrations become huge in your head, and we had to learn to deal with that – but we trusted each other, and supported each other throughout what has proved to be an adventure of a lifetime!”
Donations page still open
The team rowed to raise funds for four causes close to their hearts: The Grand Appeal for Bristol Children’s Hospital, male mental health charity Andy’s Man Club, the Marine Conservation Society and the Exeter Chiefs Foundation, supporting the community in Devon.
Their fundraising page remains open for donations at gvwhl.com/T0ERT.
Top picture: Give us a Wave’s boat Oardrey rides the ocean swell on as the team approaches Antigua. Picture: The World’s Toughest Row