A Rutland businessman has completed a solo row across the Atlantic, raising almost £170,000 for charity in memory of his daughter who died from an undiagnosed heart condition.
Andrew Osborne, 57, decided to take on the 3,000 mile challenge in memory of his daughter Amy, who died in her sleep in 2017, at the age of 25.
Mr Osborne decided to take on the challenge due to Amy’s love of water and sea. Setting out from the Canary Islands back in January, he reached his destination, Antigua, earlier this week.
He labelled the voyage as the “most gruelling and exhilarating experience of his life,” overcoming bouts of sickness, technical issues with the boat and a large storm.
“I was pushed to the limits of endurance,” he said.
“At several points, I had to abandon my oars for a parachute anchor, to steady my position amid unruly waters and searingly-hot gusts and I even experienced a turbulent capsize but thankfully emerged unscathed.
“Despite the struggle, he said it had been worth it to fund testing that could save the lives of others.
“It is the honour and privilege of a lifetime to be able to raise this support and awareness, in memory of Amy,” he went on to reveal.
The money raised will be donated to CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), and will be used to fund screenings for undiagnosed heart conditions in young adults across the UK.
Each week in the UK, 12 apparently healthy young people die from undetected heart defects, with four-fifths (80%) of them never exhibiting or feeling any symptoms.
Visit: https://www.rowforamy.com to find out more.
To donate to the cause, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rowforamy
