'Inspirational' and 'crazy' team aim to travel from Britain's most south to most north point in epic odyssey
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These keen rowers have already had to have been recused by the coastguard during their journey
Excited children waved off a team of rowers who are taking on an excruciating endurance challenge from the UK’s most southernly point to the north.
The participants in the North South Adventure left Portsmouth Historic Dockyard this morning (April 20) on the latest leg of their 1,500 mile odyssey. Four men are aiming to complete a rowing and cycling journey from the southernmost point of the British Isles to the northernmost point.
The 30-day expedition, broken up into sections, covers 1,500 miles and has already run into scary setbacks. Participant Patrick Neale, a book shop owner by trade, told The News: “I’ve enjoyed everything about the challenge so far, even recovering from being seasick.
“I was really struggling for the first 12 hours, but I got through and by dawn, I started to enjoy it. I’ve experienced something I never have before. I want to go back and complete it.”
An arduous journey
The trek involves travelling from Les Minquiers to Out Stack, a remote island off the northern tip of Shetland. Skipper Billy Taylor alongside Patrick, Oxford University Professor Kevin Dutton, and Gary Hutchings, need to row 700 miles from Les Minquiers to Portsmouth via Jersey, and from Scrabstar to Out Stack.
They’ll also need to race across 800 miles on a custom-made tandem-rickshaw from Portsmouth Harbour to Scrabster in northern Scotland. They will face blistering conditions, exhaustion, and waves exceeding four metres when crossing The Alderney Race - one of the most dangerous tidal streams in Europe.
Professor Dutton, who specialises in Psychology, said: “I’m not a rower by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve got the bruises on my knuckles to show. The fun started when we set off from Jersey across the Channel to head to Portsmouth. Billy had never seen anything like it.”
“We made some good progress but during the crossing itself, we had problems on the boat,” Mr Taylor added. “We got through two autopilot systems, which steers the boat, and then the third one broke near Christchurch. We had no good way of steering the vessel, and we were stuck in a very busy shipping lane.
“We had to put the call out to the coastguard, and the border force towed us to Weymouth. We need to get hold of a new part. As soon as that’s back in, we’ll be in good fighting order.”
“Inspirational challenge”
Money is being raised for ten children’s charities as part of the journey, including the 1851 Trust in Portsmouth. The organisation allows students to learn about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through immersive sports experiences. Its education programme will host 1,500 young people this year.
A crowd of 72 pupils from three primary schools - Ark Dickens Primary School, Cottage Grove Primary School & Nursery, and Fernhurst Junior School - spoke to the North South Adventure team and wished them luck on their journey. They were also greeted by a special guest, Team GB superstar Eilidh McIntyre. The Hayling Island native won a sailing Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020.
“I think it’s the most incredibly innovative and inspirational challenge to take on,” she said. “To even come up with the idea is crazy. With any sporting endeavour, you have to learn how to handle setbacks. That’s when you learn the most, and they’re the most important scenarios.
“I’ve only just spoken to them for a few minutes, but it’s clear they’re not giving up for anything. It’s so hard not to be inspired by what they’re doing. It’s so barking, you don’t believe that they’re going to do it. That’s when you get the most inspiring story.”
The rowers spoke to the children about how to be resilient and deal with setbacks to achieve your dreams. Professor Dutton he previously ran through all the London Underground stations while sleeping rough, and completed the London Marathon. He was inspired to take on further feats of endurance after meeting a ten-year-old girl diagnosed with cancer.
“I remember she said she was too scared to do chemotherapy, but she had a big bear called Bruno with her and kept going. Then she was eight sessions in. It’s about dividing a big goal into smaller parts. Sometimes we give kids a hard time and don’t listen to them. This changed my perspective.
“How many other kids are out there like that who we don’t listen to? The whole thing is about underpinning and showcasing resilience. We’re listening to what kids want to say. They’re our mentors on this trip?”
Jo Grindley, CEO 1851 Trust, said: “At the 1851 Trust we are passionate about unlocking potential in young people, using the universal language of sport to build confidence and resilience. The South North Adventure embodies that spirit; we understand the power of sport to inspire and unite showing youth across the UK that if put their mind to it there is no limit on what they can achieve. We are thrilled to be one of the charities that Kevin and the team are supporting as they take on this huge challenge, and we can’t wait to follow their journey north.”