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44 days after departing from La Gomera in the Canary Islands, the four-person team from Oarsome Army Educators has successfully completed their 3,000-mile row across the Atlantic Ocean.
The trip, previously dubbed the ‘world’s toughest row’, was undertaken by the team of Dec Lynn, Graham Doyle, Jessica Hunter, and Gian-Luc Angiolini, to bring attention to the training and education opportunities offered by the British Army, with help from a sponsorship by CDS DS.
They also raised over £11,000 for the Army Benevolent Fund, a charity that helps to support soldiers and their families.
When speaking about the trip, team skipper Dec Lynn recalled the initial relief they felt once they had successfully left harbour; before the team’s experience took over and they had to contend with the weather. Gian-Luc Angiolini said, ‘the rain always came just as you were about to change shift.’
Operating on a two hours on, two hours off schedule, the toughest battle for the team was a mental one. Team morale was crucial to their success, especially over the holidays as the team couldn’t be with their families.
Despite the struggles, there were some memorable moments, including one from Graham Doyle, who remembers moments of looking up at the stars at night.
At the end of the journey, the team were overjoyed to see their families waiting for them in Antigua. Jess Hunter recalled seeing her family waving a large Aussie flag for her, while Graham and Dec were met by their children. Gian-Luc recalls seeing his father trying to get in front of the professional photographers to get a photo himself.
The team is hugely proud to have completed their journey, with Jess thanking us for their support, saying that they couldn’t have done it without it.
Going ahead, they are looking forward to recovering, then getting back to work on future projects and challenges.
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