Setting sights on a world record

Former rugby teammates to row 5000km from New York to Galway

LESS than four years after being told he had slim odds of walking again, Athenry man Fergus Farrell is remarkably putting the finishing touches to his preparations ahead of a scheduled row across the Atlantic Ocean, from New York to Galway.

Alongside former Connacht and Leinster professional rugby player Damian Browne, the duo aim to take a 6.2 metre boat on a near 5,000km row across the Atlantic and are striving to smash a world record set 125 years ago by Norwegians George Harboe and Frank Samuelsen, who were the first pair to attempt the expedition and managed to complete the feat in just 55 days and 13 hours.

The West to East row has only been attempted a recorded 18 times and the overall completion rate of the gruelling voyage stands at just six successful individuals and crews.

In the process, Damian will also become the first man in history to row the Atlantic one way, climb Mount Everest and then row the Atlantic the other way...

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