Watford man speaks of sleep deprivation and exhaustion during 3,000 mile charity row
Chris Mitchell and his friend Robbie Laidlaw are due to complete the row this weekend.
Two catering company managers- including one from Watford- have described their battle against sleep deprivation and physical exhaustion as they near the end of a 3,000 mile challenge to row across the Atlantic for charity.
Chris Mitchell, from Radlett, and Robbie Laidlaw, set off from the Canary Islands on December 13th and are due to be crossing the finishing line in Antigua today, if all goes to plan.
So far they have raised £161,872 of their £250,000 target, with all the proceeds going to hospitality workers hit by the COVID-19 crisis.
Mr Mitchell- who has three daughters- said: "I knew I needed to do something exciting and interesting to get donations for the charity.
"Hospitality Action is a charity that supports people who work in the hospitality industry who, for whatever reason, need a little help.
"The hardest bit by far has been being away from family. There may well be people out here who don't get on with their families and are glad to be away, but I'm the opposite. It has made me appreciate what I have so much more."
The men take it in turns to row, with each doing two hours on and two hours off, when they attempt to get some sleep.
Mr Mitchell said that he had been listening to Harry Potter audiobooks and, one day, Mr Laidlaw found him packing his bag believing he was going to Hogwarts, because of his sleep deprivation.
You can donate via this link: https://spiritofhospitality.co.uk/