I get to meet some really interesting people through my work, and Charlie Martell was definitely one of those people. He's getting ready for a fund raising rowing challenge which if completed will see him claiming his third Guinness World Record.
I was booked to take some press shots of Charlie by the ever so lovely Romaine over at
Devotion PR, so here are a few of my photos and below is the press release about what Charlie is doing and why.
Charlie Martell
Challenges the Everest
of the Oceans
In May 2012 double Guinness World Record
holder and Army Commando, Charlie Martell will row solo and unsupported for
6,000 miles across the North Pacific from Japan to the USA to raise funds for
his chosen charities & set a new Guinness World Record for the first and
fastest solo Briton.
The route, known as the Everest of The Oceans, could take
Charlie more than six months to complete, but to take the world record he will
have to do it in just four months whilst battling through the typhoon season,
the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ – a belt of seismic and volcanic activity - and
dodging migrating whales. The Pacific
Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean basins in the world and once out in the
middle, Charlie is days from being rescued.
Only one (French) ocean-rower has ever successfully
completed an unsupported row on this treacherous west-to-east crossing and
Martell intends to become the first Briton to make the crossing alone and
unsupported (he carries all his food and provisions on board with no support back-up
boat).
Charlie will be raising money for Give Them a Sporting
Chance, which enables disabled people to fulfil their sporting ambitions, and
Toe in the Water, which provides competitive sailing for injured service
personnel
The objectives of the challenge are:
1. To set a new crossing record, the current solo record is
134 days
2. To become the first Briton to complete this route alone
and unsupported
Charlie Martell is a Mine Action Specialist who started his
career serving with the British Army in Iraq and also in Northern Ireland and
Bosnia. He has since gone on to work for the United Nations and The HALO Trust
specialising in mine clearance and post-conflict recovery in war-torn
countries.
Martell first launched the idea for Pacific 2012 after an
inspiring meeting with the charity Give Them A Sporting Chance which enables
those with disabilities - of all ages - to complete their sporting ambitions. Martell is also a core crew member of another
charity, Toe in the Water - who offer competitive sailing for servicemen and
women who have often suffered traumatic injuries. Bringing these two charities
together has been Martell's mission in the last year and he has been the
powerhouse behind the Pacific 2012 challenge which aims to raise much needed
funds for both organisations.
Charlie Martell is the son of Gloucestershire farmer and well-known
cheese-maker, Charles Martell who’s creation, Stinking Bishop cheese, is
equally loved and loathed the world over for its pungent smell and delicate
taste. Having sailed as a child and with
family links to the Royal Navy stretching back generations, Martell is at home
on the water. Swapping his sails for oars, this challenge will be the ultimate
test in mental strength and endurance. All the qualities that he possesses and
will put in to practice for the epic journey that lies ahead of him.
Press/Contact
Information:
