SADDLEWORTH’S record-breaking adventurer Frank Rothwell is reaching a new audience after a documentary charting his extraordinary solo Atlantic row was released to viewers.
The Oldham Man and the Sea follows the Greenfield businessman and Oldham Athletic owner through his first 3,000-mile crossing of the Atlantic in 2020 and 2021, when he became the oldest person to row the Atlantic solo.
The Saddleworth Independent first reported on the documentary earlier this year ahead of its release, with the film also receiving recognition at the Manchester Film Festival.
Now the documentary is out, giving audiences the opportunity to see the challenge which helped turn Frank into one of Saddleworth’s best-known fundraisers.
The film documents the then 70-year-old preparing to take on the Atlantic alone before battling his way across thousands of miles of open ocean in a rowing boat.
It captures both the physical demands of the challenge and Frank’s trademark determination and humour as he attempts to break a world record.
The documentary has already attracted a positive response from viewers. IMDb lists The Oldham Man & The Sea with a rating of 8.2 out of 10, while the film is also available on Amazon Prime.
Its description reads: “At 70 years old, Frank takes on the Atlantic Ocean alone, because why make things easy now?”
Frank’s first Atlantic adventure also had a serious purpose, raising more than £1 million for Alzheimer’s Research UK – a cause particularly close to his heart after losing loved ones to dementia.
But that was not the end of his exploits.
Frank returned to the Atlantic in December 2023 at the age of 73, setting off from La Gomera for another 3,000-mile solo crossing.
He completed his second challenge in February 2024 in 64 days, seven hours and 53 minutes, becoming the oldest person to row across any ocean solo. His boat was named For A Cure in recognition of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Produced by Chief Productions and directed by Colin Offland and Marc Ingham, The Oldham Man and the Sea also features Frank’s wife Judith.
The Oldham Man and the Sea is out now.
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