On January 9th a team of four intrepid adventurers began an epic man-powered, real-life, road to Rio. The Row2Rio team of Mel Parker (28), Susannah Cass (27), Jake Heath (29), and Luke Richmond (31) aim to reach Rio in time for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games using just the power of their own arms and legs! The route will see them cycling through Europe to Lagos in Portugal, rowing across 3,400+ nautical miles of open ocean to the North coast of Brazil, and then cycling down to Rio. The cycling team completed the road through Europe in 23 days, and have now met up with Susannah and Johnny to wait for the right weather conditions to start rowing across the Atlantic. The route has never been completed before, so stand by for some record breaking feats!
The team's Row2Rio boat is 8.64m long and has been custom built for the journey. While at sea (for 65+ days) the team will be surviving on freeze-dried and powdered food, with jerky and energy bars for snacks! They will make their own drinking water from sea-water using a desalinator machine and will be able to catch some sleep in a small cabin at the end of the boat. The team will be rowing in pairs in 2 hour shifts, 24 hours a day, stopping only if a storm forces them into the cabin to hold on tight! And, in case you were wondering - where are the toilets? The boat is complete with two buckets on deck, to use the 'bucket and chuck it' method, and a big supply of flushable baby wipes.
If weather conditions stay favourable, the team will be setting out onto the open ocean on Monday 29th February, so fingers crossed for some good conditions and bon voyage to the rowers!
In pioneering this trans-Atlantic route, the group hopes to honour the legacy of the 2012 Games and inspire kids to get active. We at Get Set hope to keep you up to date with their journey as they travel, and maybe even get some exclusive interviews with the team on route! Keep watching the website for updates, photos, and videos from the team to follow their amazing experiences, highs and lows, the places they see, and people they meet! You can also check out their story and find out more about the group on their website.
Good luck to Row2Rio!