Three Men in Another Boat complete 90-mile rowing challenge
On Sunday evening, Three Men in Another Boat completed a punishing 90-mile charity row along the Thames from Oxford to Kingston.
The trio of rowers – Chris Campbell, Andrew Wilkinson, and James Morrow – undertook the two-day challenge in aid of the Oxford-based charity Auditory Verbal UK, which teaches children with hearing aids and cochlear implants to listen and speak.
Having raised over £5,000 on a three-day challenge along the same route for the same charity in 2010, the three men decided to up the ante on their second attempt; cutting an entire day from the itinerary.
The crew set off from the City of Oxford Rowing Club – who stored their racing boat, borrowed from Hampton School, prior to the challenge – at 7am on Saturday morning.
Taking it in turns to row in pairs, with the third member cycling alongside the river, the crew reached the half-way point at 7pm the same evening – setting up camp at Shiplake College.
Another gruelling day’s row saw the team eventually reach the finish line at Hampton School BC at 8pm on Sunday; after two days, 90 miles, 100 miles cycling, and over 30,000 individual strength-sapping strokes.
“Our hands are in shreds, our backs frozen and my knees shot to bits,” said Campbell. “That said, we have so far raised nearly £4,000 for a wonderful charity.
“Without the help of Auditory Verbal UK my daughter Alice would not now be preparing to enter reception at a school she adores and is fully settled in with her friends.
“I have never undertaken such a physical challenge in all my life.”
“In the words of Sir Steve Redgrave, ‘If you ever see me near a boat again, you have my permission to shoot me!’,” added Morrow.
For more information on the challenge, visit the Three Men in Another Boat website.
To see more about the work being done by Auditory Verbal UK to help deaf and hearing-impaired children achieve their full potential, visit www.AVUK.org.
