The Last Man Erging Challenge - 20-23 October 2017

We have always loved and enjoyed pushing ourselves and are constantly looking for new challenges, so we decided to create an event of our own.

Both rowers, they have been interested for some time in partaking in a lengthy rowing related challenge. Further to this, following the British Rowing Indoor Championship where Tom succeeded in coming fourth in his category, that's nationally the 4th best indoor rower!

On top of this during our winter training where, as coastal rowers, indoor rowing takes up the majority of our training, Tom happened to find out that he wasn't far off the British record for 5000 meters on a rowing machine for his age group and weight category, so sure enough he went for it and smashed it! On the 7th of March 2017 Tom became British champion for 17/18 year old (Heavyweights).

Dennis Crabtree is Tom's uncle, he was unfortunately diagnosed with terminal cancer in April 2016, he has always been an inspirational and key figure in Tom's life and couldn't have been prouder when Tom became a British champion.

He had a long and difficult fight with cancer, and continued to combat it until, sadly, April 2017 when he passed away, he will definitely never be forgotten. In his memory and to aid future victims, we decided to organise a charitable event, the funds of which would go to Cancer research, with a smaller section going to the rowing club we are both part of, as it is not only a sports club but a second family upon whom we can always rely for support in difficult times as well as during the good ones.

After a fair bit of thinking and research Tom came up with the proposition of attempting the longest continual row, the record for which in his category (J-19s HWT) is 44 hours and 30 minutes. Now as they say great friends never let you do something stupid.... Alone, so sure enough Will said he would "keep him company" and join in, why not go for a record also? His record would be 50 hours.

Soon enough we established that this could be a club event for those wishing to participate, with 80% of the funds raised going to Cancer Research UK (The other 20% will go to Deal, Walmer and Kingsdown Amateur rowing club).

Currently an estimated 1 in 3 people in the UK are due to fight a form of Cancer at some point during their lives, this is something that therefore affects us all, everyone knows someone who is or has suffered from the illness.

The survival rates are improving every year, thanks to in part, the vital work that Cancer research UK do, we are proud to be doing this in their name.

Dennis sadly lost his fight but as stated he won't be forgotten and we hope that with some of the funds we hope to raise, even fewer people will lose to cancer.

All info is available on the Last Man Erging facebook page and the event will be livestreamed: https://www.facebook.com/LastManErgingChallenge/

There are 3 records beign attempted:

Men's Hwt 20-29 William Darlington - 52 hours target

Men's Hwt under 19s Tom Barwell- 44 h 30 targer

Ladies Small team under 19 relay Victoria Ward, Emma Boccolini, Megan Tribe - 3 days 12 hours target