Projects: Rowing the Atlantic for charity
We’re delighted to be supporting two firefighters from St Mary’s, Southampton, in their epic quest to row across the Atlantic and raise money for charity.
Billed as the premier event in ocean rowing the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is a journey of over 3,000 miles west from San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain (28oN 18oW) to Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, Antigua & Barbuda (17oN 61oW).
In 2020 Adam Bundle (pictured above on right) and Stu Vince will take part in the unique experience of crossing an ocean in a rowing boat. It’s all in aid of Solent Mind and the Fire Fighters Charity. They’re hoping to raise £100,000.
We’re really proud to be part of that sponsorship team and to help play our part in raising awareness of Positive Mental Health in the workplace with a donation and significant quantities of WEST SYSTEM® epoxy to help repair their boat.
Personal experience led to charity choice
As serving Fire Fighters, Stu and Adam have both had to overcome some form of mental health problem during their working life such as coping with the loss of colleagues at work, and the regular pressures of making life and death decisions while attending a wide variety of life-threatening incidents.
“I’m no different to the hundreds of people you’ll walk past each day,” says Adam. “I live a simple and uncomplicated life, which splits easily into bite size chunks. I’m husband, a father of two gorgeous little girls, I worry about money and providing for my family. I have a passion for surfing, even though I do it badly and rarely have time to paddle out.
“Stu and I are rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean as part of a two year positive mental health awareness campaign. I’ve been affected by mental ill health – and that’s okay. I’m doing something about it, which will hopefully benefit everyone.
“Our ocean rowing boat was an absolute bargain, a fraction of what you’d normally like to pay, knowing it’s keeping us alive. To make it even more interesting, up until a few months ago, I had never rowed on water, let alone an ocean.
“We are using our own experiences to help reduce the stigma of mental health illness in the workplace. We hope to train employers and employees a like to become Mental Health First Aiders, so they can support each other, when they need it the most.”
We’ll be keeping an eye on Adam and Stu’s progress (https://www.arc2020.org.uk) through their training process and, of course, the repairs to the boat and the fundraising journey (https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/atlanticrowingchallenge2020) as they raise money for charity.
