A GROUP of ten people from the local area with an average age of 65 have set themselves the challenge to row 100 miles from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean to raise funds for four charities.
The group, which is made up of residents from the villages surrounding Frome, is called the Oarsome Oldies and they will set off from Inverness in June, to follow a route that ends in Oban five days later, rowing against the wind and tides.
So far, an impressive £25,000 has been raised, which will be split between four charities – I Can and I Am which offers cooking and wellbeing workshops for schools, Firefly International which supports children affected by the ravages of war, The Florence Nightingale Aid in Sickness Trust which provides life-enhancing grants to help people of all ages who are ill, convalescing or disabled and Friends of St Margaret’s Church, which supports the preservation, repair and maintenance of the fabric and furnishing of Corsley’s St. Margaret’s Church.
The Oarsome Oldies are Nick Adams, Phyllada Breedon, Sebastian Chambers, Claire da Costa, Andrew and Laura Gates, Keith Johnson, Michael Parker, Glen Senk and Sarah Temple-Pedersen.
The group says, “We’re the oldest group to crew the world-renowned ‘Roxy’, Rannoch’s ocean-going RX80 flagship boat. The Oarsome Oldies will navigate more than 100 miles across Scotland, from the North Sea to the Atlantic, through the Caledonian Canal, River Ness and the famous Lochs Dochfour, Ness, Lochy and Linnie.
“This five-day trip is an enormous physical challenge, but the Oarsome Oldies refuse to go gently into the night! We began training last spring, with stones to be shed, muscles to be developed, and thousands upon thousands of kilometres to be rowed before our start date of 3rd June.”
Phyllada, who lives in Frome said, “We’re doing this to not only raise money for some fantastic charities, but also to improve our own personal health. What we’ve collectively managed to raise so far is incredible – there are so many generous people out there, that are willing to support us.
“I’m completely new to rowing – my technique was so bad at the start that I was constantly pulled up for doing things wrong! Luckily, I have improved and we have some time before we set off, so I can get even better.”
Fellow rower, Nick Adams added, “I was diagnosed with cancer in my bladder in May last year and thankfully it was removed last summer. This made me realise that I was standing in a fork in the road as, at the age of 67, I had to decide whether this was going to be the beginning of a slow demise, or whether I should embrace something new as I go into older age.
“This challenge will be very tough but it will allow me to change something about my situation for the better, as well as raising money for some really good causes. For me, thinking about my own mortality, raising money for the charity Firefly International, means that children in war zones around the world can get some vital support.”
Since training started last spring, it is estimated that between them, the Oarsome Oldies have rowed over 100,000 miles, shedding weight and gaining muscle in the process. The ten friends will be rowing for ten hours a day in shifts of two hours on, followed by two hours off.
To donate to the cause, visit https://shorturl.at/lzAPV
