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An Irish Olympic rower
is to ditch the calm of inland waters for 50ft Atlantic swells in a bid
to become the fastest man to row across the ocean.
Gearoid Towey will race around 50
crews over 3,000 miles of open seas in the epic journey from the Canary
Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean in November.
And the 27-year-old Trinity College student is confident success is on
the horizon.
“I’m going out there with the attitude to win, I want to be the fastest
man to row the Atlantic,” he said.
“It’s a race across the ocean not just an adventure, that’s the way I’m
looking at it.”
But Towey, who reached the Olympic semi-finals in the light weight
double sculls in Athens 2004, admitted the challenge could look a bit
daunting to some.
“We’ll be rowing two hours at a time for around 40 days non-stop so
fitness is a priority, but we have to worry about the dangers of high
seas and the 50ft swells,” he said.
“And then there’s the odd container ship that we would need to avoid.”
Spending more than a month on board the 20ft boat Towey will team up
with barrister Ciaran Lewis for the
race to smash the record of 42 days at sea.
The pair, Towey 6ft and Lewis 6ft 3in, will be crammed into a tiny 6ft
cabin whenever the ocean swell allows them time to sleep.
“The big thing for us will be learning to live on the boat. We have to
cook, sleep and make our own water for 40 days,” he said.
“I have spent hardly any time at sea so that is a completely big
challenge for me and I’ve certainly never experienced the middle of the
ocean.”
Not only will Towey and Lewis have to build enormous levels of stamina
for the trip the dangers of the high seas will provide a mammoth
challenge.
“Now it seems a little bit daunting because we don’t have a huge
knowledge of ocean rowing,” he said.
“The swells could be frightening at first but we’re told the big waves
become your friends because they are pushing you along. What seems big
at the beginning only seems small as you near land.”
The pair, who hope to raise thousands for the Irish Cancer Society and
Merchants Quay, plan to send supporters at home daily updates of their
progress and battle with the ocean.
An online diary will be posted on the internet and with film cameras on
board the pair will record the epic journey for a documentary.
In the build-up to the race the pair plan to spend weekends on the boat
at sea. A trip to Wales across the Irish Sea could be on the cards as
they bid to enter the history books.
“It’s about getting the routine down, not just hours on and off rowing.
We have to make sure we’re ready,” he said.
“One big problem is taking too much out of ourselves. That is a pretty
big problem alright, over-exertion of energy in the first half could
leave us burned out, but we’ll be supporting each other all the way.”
And with a gruelling fitness programme over the next six months Towey
hopes the physical strain and mental pressure will stand him in good
stead for the Olympic games in 2008.
“I felt I needed a break from international competition. It’s good way
to keep my hand in but not with the pressure of competition,” he said.
“But I’m still focusing on Beijing. I want to compete and I want to go a
step further.” |
