After fighting cancer for 22 years, my mother died in April 2015. I have since been putting into action a new fundraising challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK in her memory, and will be undertaking a solo endurance row in a single scull racing shell, from Southend Pier at the limit of the North Sea, to Tower Bridge, a distance of 70km and potentially 6-7 hours of continuous rowing.

I rowed for McGill University, Montreal, some time back in 2003, and this challenge seems a perfect opportunity to get back on the water doing something I always found both challenging and rewarding. I would potentially like the Solo Sea to City Row to become a set fundraising challenge for others to take on in the future and continue to raise money for charity.

The row is set for the 28th August 2017, which has given me six months training on and off the water. I've had to build up both the technical skill required for rowing a sculling racing shell in relatively open water at the beginning of the challenge, and the fitness to adapt from the standard 2km in 7 minutes to an endurance row of 70km in 6-7 hours. In doing so, I hope to put a new challenge in place, and raise £10,000 for Cancer Research UK, a cause that is very close to me and indeed so many others.

Thank you to everyone for you support and donations; you are already my constant motivation to drive my training and fundraising in the lead up to my hardest physical challenge to date!

SEA2CITY.ORG


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