GB Row Challenge starts – with one team

Four young adults are taking on an extreme test of endurance, rowing around the UK, non-stop and unsupported. They expect to take around 30 days to complete the challenge.

Taking part in GB Row Challenge, they are the only team racing after others cancelled due to Covid-19.

The men’s website is full of the proud claim they’ve never rowed before, although their brief bios point to sailing-filled childhoods and training during team isolation.

“We are raising money for two charities that mean a lot to us,” team member Charles Bromhead told NewsAnyway.

The crew of four, which includes the great nephew of Queen Elizabeth II, Arthur Chatto, have endured a tough few months training during lockdown, self-isolating as a team, for the challenge that has only ever seen 14 successful finishers, in four boats.

“With all the preparations completed, it has become very exciting, but also quite nerve-racking as we realise how much of a challenge we have taken on, but we can’t wait to get started,” says Chatto.

David Jones, who is the Founder and CEO of Just One Ocean, one of the charities to receive money from the team’s endeavour, as well as a researcher at the University of Portsmouth, says: “The team have put in an incredible amount of work in a relatively short space of time. We are extremely grateful for the support they are giving to Just One Ocean and wish them the best of luck.”

GB Row Challenge route

So far, the team’s tracker shows they’ve raised 6% of their target to be shared between British Red Cross and Just One Ocean, around £9,000 of £150,000. Donations can be made online.