TWO former pupils of Tonbridge School, George Randell and Oli Glanville, became the second fastest pair to row across the Atlantic when they took part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – and raised more than £50,000 for charity.
The pair, competing as the team The Oardinary Boys, completed the 3,000-mile race from the Canary Islands to Antigua in just 37 days.
They beat the previous record by three days – but still had to settle for second place behind fierce rivals Row2Recovery, who managed to beat them by a mere two hours.
‘We tried to keep each other’s spirits up, sometimes with word games and riddles, and other times with just enjoying the silence’
Oli, 22, and George – who turned 23 in mid-ocean – are supporting Against Malaria Foundation and Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Oli reflected on a character-building experience which included a capsize, saying: “It was a true baptism of fire in the opening days as we had no real protection against some serious weather.
“The first storm was quite scary, but living in our wet clothes and having to plough on regardless was perhaps the biggest test of endurance.”
He added: “Looking back on it, we can’t really remember where the time went. We tried to keep each other’s spirits up, sometimes with word games and riddles, and other times with just enjoying the silence, looking at the sea and appreciating the whole experience.”
George admitted to feeling ‘completely broken’ after coming so close to victory. “We closed in on the winning team before they finally pulled away.
“But I will take so many memories away with me – not least that we broke a previous world record.
“The scene as we approached the finish at Antigua, with the sun setting, was just beautiful.
“At first we couldn’t really walk properly when we got on to dry land, as our balance had gone.
“But our spirits soon recovered when we treated ourselves to some days on the beach.”
If you would like to donate to their charities, visit www.theoardinaryboys.com
