INTREPID Pembrokeshire seafarer Gareth Reynolds has completed his epic 3,000-plus mile solo row across the Atlantic Ocean, from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean, in aid of charity.
After two years of preparation, he completed his awe-inspiring voyage in 51 days, 3 hours and 59 minutes on Monday afternoon, having completed in excess of 1.5 million oar strokes.
The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is regarded as the world’s top ocean endurance race - and one of the toughest challenges - with Gareth rowing all alone, for up to 20 hours a day.
“I’ve never been so happy to see dry land, it’s weird to see people again, although I’ve managed to swim with a couple of fin whales,” he said, following his arrival at dockside in Antigua.
“I can’t wait for a beer and a meal, I ran out of gas, so I’ve been on cold rations this last week or so, but I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve had a few amazing moments, it’s been everything I wanted into be.
“I had forgotten about the race aspect a week or two ago, and just embraced it a lot more.”
Gareth, who is a former pupil at Milford Haven School, had named his boat after Joshua Gardener, who was a young fire fighter who died in a tragic accident at the Cleddau waterway in 2019.
His epic row has so far raised well over £30,000 for the MS Society, which will help them fund ground-breaking research and the award-winning care and support that they provide.
The 31-year-old, from Dale, also used the campaign as a platform to talk about mental health, to raise awareness, share his own experiences and encourage people to talk about their own issues.
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