GEORGE NEWS - Two extreme athletes from George, Des Kiely and Glen Lindsay, officially started the countdown to their participation next year in what is viewed as the world's toughest rowing event, the gruelling 5 000km Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
The two former Navy buddies were at the Outeniqua Community Market on Saturday morning, exactly a year from the start of the 2018 Talisker race, to start creating awareness about their endeavour.
The annual Talisker race starts in early December at San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands and ends at Nelson's Dockyard English Harbour, Antigua and Barbuda. Up to 30 teams enter, each rowing for their own choice of a charity.
Kiely, a real estate agent, and Lindsay, an agent for Ecolab, have entered as team Row4LIFE.
In addition to challenging their own grit and stamina to the limit in a rowing boat across the Atlantic, their aim is to collect R1,26-million for Life Community Services.
The money will help to cover the educational costs of 300 children for a year.
Kiely says they will start training soon, gradually increasing from a one-and-a-half hour session per day to six hours closer to the race.
Being seasoned extreme sportsmen, they are not making use of a trainer.
Races they have completed include the Iron Man and Port Elizabeth to East London surf ski race.
The Talisker challenge can take anything from 35 to 40 days in favourable weather, and 50 to 80 days in bad weather.
Children of the Life Community Services choir and gumboot dancers, who gave a short performance at the Outeniqua Community Market on Saturday to help create awareness of Des Kiely (left) and Glen Lindsay's participation in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
A specialist rowing boat with only a small cabin for protection against the elements will be their home on the open sea during this time.
They will be looking for sponsors to buy a boat, which costs about R1-million.
"We are waiting for this year's race to finish to see if there will be any second-hand boats available," says Kiely.
Read more about Kiely and Lindsay's endeavour at www.row4life.org.za.
Kiely may be contacted on 060 459 2718.
ARTICLE & PHOTO: ALIDA DE BEER, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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