GREENFIELD’S Frank Rothwell is at the start line and ready to take on a feat of endurance by rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean – again!
The owner of Oldham Athletic will leave behind his wife Judith and home comforts for boat For A Cure heading from the Canary Island of La Gomera to Antigua.
December 25 will be spent on the ocean wave, with no alcohol nor Christmas pudding in sight.
The scale of his attempt in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is highlighted by the fact it takes more than one-and-a-half million oar strokes to complete.
More people have climbed Mount Everest than rowed an ocean and waves the rowers can measure up to 20ft high.
Each rower is expected to use 800 sheets of toilet paper during their crossing and will in excess of 5,000 calories per day.
But doing it to raise £1 million for Alzheimer’s Research UK, a cause with which he has a personal connection, makes it worth it.
He said: “There’s been a lot of training gone in.
“I’m quite an accomplished sailor, I’m just a bloke who does things but I have skippered my own boat around the world.
“I’m the only person to have sailed around North and South America in a figure of eight – you’d have thought they’d been doing that for a long time!
“But no, some old English bloke does it,
“I’m not frightened of the challenge but I am frightened of Alzheimer’s. I’ve seen the heartbreak that it causes.
“Sadly, I’ve lost two people that I love to dementia, my brother-in-law, Roger, during my 2020/21 race, and my best friend, Phil Wiggett, only this year. It’s devastating.
“I don’t want others to go through it, so I am determined to help Alzheimer’s Research UK change lives.
“I’ve renamed my boat For A Cure, because that’s what I’m racing for. I’m racing to end the heartbreak of dementia.”
Frank’s target is to arrive in Antigua on Valentine’s Day in time to reunite with Judith.
After setting off from La Gomera at 10.30am on Tuesday, December 12, Iceland Foods’ Charitable Foundation will match fund up to £100,000.
And even though Frank became the oldest person to conquer the challenge solo when he completed it in 2021, he is back again at the age of 73.
He will travel in a J shape, heading to Cape Verde then essentially turning right to cross the Atlantic – and even when the weather behaves, it is a long day.
And the secret? Taking it easy!
Frank added: “I’m a big believer in living life with no regrets, which is why I want to race again.
“Every day, I wake up at 7.30am and the first thing I do is phone Judith then at 8am I phone race control.
“I’d ask about other boats then have breakfast after phoning Luke, who’s my router. That’s usually cold granola.
“At 8.30am or 8am, I’m on the oars. On an average day, I row between eight and 14 hours.
“Personally, the big challenges are being away from home, especially at Christmas, being away from family and missing the football.
“So I keep my mind focussed and listen to the right music, everything from opera to AC/DC – and when I’m rowing, I don’t want people to phone me up.
“And I want to go nice and steady, not too hard!”
Frank will also keep up with events at Boundary Park and may even tune in as they look to progress in the National League.
“I’ll be getting my daily phone call,” he said. “And I may be able to pick something up from a satellite!”
*YOU can donate to Frank’s fundraising effort by clicking www.justgiving.com/campaign/frankrothwell.
I don’t understand the last part, but so far great read.