A King’s student is rowing across the Atlantic
He’s never rowed before and he gets sea sick
A KCL student is attempting to row across the Atlantic Ocean in the word’s toughest rowing race.
Jack Galsworthy, who studies Biomedical Sciences, and Freddie Wright, a Mechanical Engineering student at Bristol, will set off on Blue Steel from La Gomera in the Canary Islands – and hope to arrive in Antigua in February.
If the team, who’ve named themselves the Atlantic Castaways, are successful, they’ll hold the world record for the youngest people to ever cross the Atlantic.
But it won’t be easy – they will face up to 40 foot waves, howling winds, sharks, blisters and salt rashes, sunstroke and sleep deprivation as they row a constant shift of two hours on, two hours off for up to 95 days.
They will also need to eat over 6,000 calories per day while on the journey – and even then, they expect to lose 20 per cent of their body weight while at sea, burning around 10,000 calories per day.
Not only that, but the trip has cost a massive £90,000 in total. However, 21-year-old Jack, from Cornwall, says it’s worth it.
He said: “I am doing it for the adventure and to get out of the routine of normal life.
“I am really looking forward to the simplicity of it all. Knowing that the only thing I have to do that day is row, eat and sleep is just so and raw and calming. I love it.
“The simple life is something that I think a lot of people crave and although this might be a weird way to experience a simple way of life, but it combines well with the idea of challenging myself to a whole new level.”
But Jack admits he’s looking forward to getting back to normal student life.
He says: “The universities have let us have time out in order to compete in the race, but we still have to complete all coursework for deadlines and many assessments have been brought forward before we leave so that we can do them.
“There have lots of times where we haven’t been able to go out for a drink or clubbing because we’ve had to get up the next day at 6 am to train [for the race]. I’m almost looking forward to in a way getting back from this and being a proper student again!”
The rowers are also raising money for the Brain Research Trust – a charity very close to their hearts – and aim to raise a record-breaking £150,000.
You can follow their progress using this tracker, and on their Facebook and Twitter.