The Four Oarsmen: Oarsmen Prepare for the Challenge of their Life

With just a couple of weeks to go before the start of The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, The Four Oarsmen are confident with their preparation and will to win. The race from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean is 3,000-miles across the Atlantic Ocean and one of the toughest challenges on the planet, testing the boat and the team to the limit.

The Four Oarsmen are four close friends with not only a desire to win the race but also to raise much-needed funds and awareness for Mind and Spinal Research, two charities close to their hearts. Each member of the team is a 6’4” rugby player with limited previous rowing experience, but their hard training and a focused approach has ensured they are ready to go when the start gun is fired.

Dicky Taylor (31), George Biggar (31), Peter Robinson (31) and Stuart Watts (34) are on a mission to be not only the first crew into English Harbour, Antigua, but also to raise money and awareness for Mind and Spinal Research. George’s father Mike, a past Scotland rugby captain, sustained catastrophic brain damage in a car accident. His mother, previously a successful lawyer as well a trustee for MIND, recently died after a life spent battling with mental illness, making Mind a particularly important charity for George and the team. Pete also has a strong connection to Spinal Research, with two close friends tragically paralysed through spinal cord injury, one during a rugby game in Hong Kong and the other in a horrific cycling accident. Through his experiences of the devastating effects of spinal injury and the hope of finding a cure for paralysis, Pete has become a huge supporter of the work done by Spinal Research. Already their efforts have raised a substantial sum through support events in USA , Hong Kong and around the UK where they recently appeared on ITV’s This Morning programme.

More people have climbed Everest or flown in space than have rowed the Atlantic, but, being a powerful and driven team of intrepid adventurers, The Four Oarsmen have set high standards as the team to beat. Their race will start on December 12th, finishing, if their challenge goes to plan, in mid-January 2018 when they cross the finish line in English Harbour, Antigua.

ENDS

For further information and images please contact:

Saltwater Stone

Clive Bartlett

Tel: 01202 669244

Email: c.bartlett@saltwater-stone.com