NICK McCulloch and his rowing partner Tom Parker have put their lives on hold to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic for charity.
They will row for two hours on, two hours off for 60 days during the Talisker Atlantic Challenge from The Canary Islands to Antigua.
The only rest they will get as a pair is when they batten down the hatches and lock themselves in a cabin if the sea state becomes so rough it endangers their lives.
But Mr McCulloch, from Brighton, said there was no grand moment of inspiration to decide to take on the mammoth voyage.
Mr McCulloch followed the 2013 race, asked his friends if they fancied trying it and has been enveloped in it ever since.
He said: “It just doesn’t stop.
“When we met the race organisers last July having confirmed our entry, they said the toughest part is getting to the start line and you need to be very sure that if you have partners or a marriage or whatever else that they understand the volume of work you actually need to do and how time-consuming it is.
“I have to say, it’s relentless.
“In terms of planning, sponsorship, commitments to charities and sponsors – there’s a huge amount of responsibility for something that started off as just rowing the Atlantic to getting to the start line.
“It’s exhausting. On top of our work and whatever else we’re doing, we’re up at 6am and finishing at 11pm or midnight and all we’re doing is planning and training.
“The training is actually the easiest part, and I don’t say that flippantly, but it’s very regimented and you know exactly what you need to do and you have very specific goals and a timeline of what you need to achieve and where you’re going.
“And yes, that’s tough, and of course it’s exhausting and you’re pushing yourself physically to change your body and build strength and endurance, but that’s fixed so it’s really easy to plan and work to.
“All the other stuff – you’re wholly reliant on other people but you have the responsibility of delivering for them, so I’ve probably been on tenterhooks for five months.”
Up at 6am for training before a full day’s work and back in the gym for two and a half hour rowing sessions as well as juggling the sponsorship side is taking its toll on the 39-year-old.
He said: “Rowing is an easy way to make you realise that your playlists aren’t as exhaustive as you’d wished.
“There are some songs I’ve heard so many times.
“I thought an audiobook was a good way of killing a couple of hours, but they’re not the greatest motivator.
“I’ve taken now to putting it on random shuffle to try and avoid certain songs, but I didn’t realise quite how much Spice Girls I’ve got, or that I must have them on there hundreds of times.
“If 2 Become 1 comes on again as I’m rowing I think I’ll probably cry.”
The Argus is media partners for their mammoth journey and their trip will be beamed on to our website through four state-of-the-art cameras set up on the boat.
Their home for the epic journey is called Ocean 2 and was built by Rossiter’s the boat builders.
It is 9m long and just 1.6m wide with a streamline bulkhead at the front and a small cabin at the back.
By the time it will leave The Canary Islands, it will weigh 1.5 tonnes due to the extra technology needed to film the boys’ progress.
The countdown is on to December 15 for the first day of the race, and as they dip their toe into the ocean of the unknown, Mr McCulloch believes their ignorance is a good thing.
The digital marketing expert, life coach and entrepreneurial business mentor, said: “I’m not sure there are many people who have been through this before who are eager to do it again.
“I think emotionally, to leave and row and endure what we’ll endure and get to the other side just mentally and emotionally – it’ll be a big character change.
“We’ll come back very different people to where we started.
“I’m looking forward to being in the middle of the Atlantic with nothing around me, be that in really rough seas or in really calm seas.
“I think the contrast between the two will be quite considerable, and probably like the scary rides at Thorpe Park or Alton Towers.
“I have a respectful fear of the sea, and I’m sure there are some aspects of it that I’ll find petrifying but once you’ve done them I think you’ll just get used to it.”
DONATE TO THE CAUSE
NICK McCulloch and Tom Parker are taking on the biggest challenge of their lives under their team name Atlantic Tempest.
The pair are raising money for three charities – Barnado’s, Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal and The Sussex Beacon.
In order to get to the start line, it will cost them a six-figure sum in order to make sure every penny donated during the race goes to the three charities.
Mr McCulloch said: “It was daunting at the start, but we’ve been amazingly gifted by Quality Solicitors Howlett Clarke, who came on board straight away.
“We’ve still got a little way to go, but we are within touching distance now.
“We’re not an international team looking to make profit.
“We’re looking to cover our costs so that by the time we’re out there racing everything we raise will go to charity – and that’s really important to us.”
Commercial sponsors benefit from branding on their boat, clothing, online and on their live broadcast as well as daily Get On-Board updates which will distributed through theargus.co.uk.
Mr McCulloch said: “We are keen to work with sponsors in developing sponsorship opportunities that are not only creative, but that are tailor made to ensure they deliver an attractive return on investment.”
Opportunity to donate to the charity will take place during the race itself, but for now the pair are making one last push for corporate sponsorship to get their boat in the water.
If you are interested in sponsoring this fantastic journey call 0203 740 2660 or visit atlantic-tempest.com for more information.
WATCH THEM LIVE ONLINE
THE ARGUS is supporting the Atlantic Tempest team after joining as a media partner.
As a result, our readers will be able to watch every second of Nick McCulloch and Tom Parker’s gruelling 3,000-mile row live on theargus.co.uk in what promises to be brutal reality TV.
Enabling the video and the technology that comes with it has come at a significant cost and will add days to the pair’s journey because of the extra weight.
But Mr McCulloch said: “I knew we were creating something different when we brought in the broadcast element, because that’s the real cash generator for our charities, and I knew it would be time-consuming.
“I just didn’t realise how it would take over my whole life.
“The support offered to us by The Argus is invaluable. As we move towards race day and during the race itself, the readers both in print and online can look forward to following our journey.
“Thank you to all at The Argus for your support. It’s great to have you on- board.”
Mike Gilson, editor of The Argus, said: “This will be a hugely remarkable feat all in aid of three great charities, including The Sussex Beacon.
“An amazing and gruelling challenge, both mentally and physically, for Nick and Tom and with this in mind we decided to throw our support behind them.
“As this will be the first time anyone has ever broadcast the race live, we at The Argus, are delighted to be able to share this with our readers and we’d encourage them to donate generously.”
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