20th July 2019 – NOMAN Race to end HPV

200 Mile Ocean Rowing race from Barcelona to Ibiza

In the last quarter of 2018, after spending the previous year and half doing nothing but working in and on the business, I realised how important it was to have balance in life and how I was so missing the point! This is a story about the importance of setting goals. Not easy achievable goals, but goals that challenge you and remind you why you’re here on this wonderful planet! It’s a lesson in pushing yourself beyond the limit of possibility and being fully accountable throughout the entire process. This year my personal goals have taken me Enduro Moto-racing across the Bulgarian mountains, something I had to learn how to ride a performance motorbike for a month before – with no previous experience, it’s forced me to put on a successful charity boxing event -and step in the ring myself – with only around 8 weeks training and no prior experience, and culminated in an ocean row!

If you want something make yourself accountable then go get it!

Earlier this week I joined team ‘Goldman Sachs Gives’ and completed the NOMAN is an Island: Race to End HPV ocean rowing challenge by rowing from Barcelona to Ibiza in support of the charity, with the most amazing group of guys. We were strangers at the start and a band of brothers by the end! We rowed non-stop for 3 days and nights and whilst we didn’t come first, our team of amateurs and misfits did complete the route in record time, beating the time set for any previous crossing!

I’ll take that!!

We battled 40 degree + temperatures, hours on end in direct sunlight and survived on around 3 hrs sleep. My hands are in tatters, I’ve got blisters on blisters and I’ve not had a case of ‘nappy rash’ this severe in the past 36 years! 😜 Was it worth it?

100%!!

The current fundraise is now up to around £600k and with more on the way it’s set to break the £700k mark! I’m incredibly grateful to everyone that’s supported both me and the charity to date.

For those of you that don’t know, the HPV virus is responsible for causing 5% of cancers worldwide, that’s over 1 million people every year, yet is totally curable through inoculation. Presently, of the countries that do vaccinate children, most only offer the injection to girls, which is only 50% of the population. The work of the charity aims to bring about global awareness and total eradication of the virus. 30% of the world are now onboard, thanks to the charities tieless work, however there’s lots of work left to do!

It’s a pleasure to have been a part of the NOMAN story and I’ll continue to support the great work of the charity. The rowing experience itself will stay with me for many years to come!