'My daughter will be looking down on me': The Leicestershire man solo rowing across the Atlantic
Andrew Osborne has been training at Rutland Water for the challenge of a lifetime
Last updated 2nd Nov 2022
A Leicestershire man is in training at Rutland Water before he attempts the challenge of a lifetime.
Andrew Osborne will go without human contact for 90 days when he sets off to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo in none other than a rowboat this December.
He tells us it's all in memory of his daughter, Amy, who tragically passed away in her sleep five years ago at the age of 25, from an undiagnosed heart condition.
Andrew's 'Row For Amy' campaign has already raised £40,000 for Cardiac Arrest in the Young, to fund greater testing to check for undiagnosed heart conditions in children and young people.
40ft waves and four miles of ocean beneath
Andrew could face waves of up to 40-foot and will sleep wearing a harness in case his 8-foot rowboat capsizes during the night.
His journey from Gran Canaria to Antigua is 45-times greater than the width of the English Channel.
'I'm lucky in one way as I know the entire journey that Amy, my daughter that we lost, will be looking down on me saying: "stop making a fuss Daddy, just get on with it", Andrew said.
He added: 'From the middle of December, all the way until perhaps the first week in April, I will see no human being, speak to no-one, absolutely no human interaction at all. That is a massive mental challenge.'
A silent killer
One in 12 young people die each week in the UK from an undiagnosed heart condition, while 80% don’t experience any symptoms.
Amy’s memorial fund set up by Andrew’s family at the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young has so far raised enough money to pay for over 500 children and young adults to be screened, as well as contribute funds towards research and raise awareness to help save lives.
Follow this link to donate to Andrew's 'Row For Amy' campaign: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rowforamy