Benno Rawlinson - Atlantic Row Challenge
Benno Rawlinson (MEng Mechanical Engineering 2010) is
taking on the challenge of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.
More people have been into space than teams have rowed across an ocean yet Benno and his seven teammates plan to do it in a record-breaking time of 30 days. The world record currently stands at 32 days to cover the 3000 miles.
At the age of 25 Benno is one of the youngest members of the team but has experience and knowledge of what it takes to be an endurance athlete. His first major challenge was cycling the 450 miles between Britain’s three highest peaks and walking up them in four and a half days.
Since then he has competed in a number of adventure races, mountain marathons and ultra-marathons including “The World’s Toughest Footrace”, The Marathon des Sables, where he finished 127th overall and 2nd under 25. The race involves running 250km in six days through the Sahara Desert where temperatures surpass 50°C whilst carrying all your supplies.
Benno said: "I chose the University of Bath for the course but also because of the fantastic sporting facilities and achievements of those who go there. It allowed me to participate in a variety of sports whilst there as well as help and inspire me to push my own limits, particularly in my next challenge of taking on the world record for the fastest row across the Atlantic Ocean."
Benno and the team hope to begin sea trials at the beginning of September and will undertake their Atlantic row attempt in January 2013; we wish them the best of luck! You can follow their progress at www.oceanrowevents.com/expeditions/crew
