Cancer Buddies heard from Ian Davies, a member of an Ex-Forces team who took on the challenge of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean to help raise funds for Myeloma UK.
The Atlantic Challenge, considered to be ‘the world’s toughest row’ sees teams’ row from San Sebastian, La Gomera into Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, Antigua & Barbuda. Taking part in the challenge was the idea of Ian Davies, Ex Warrant Officer Class 1 in the REME, and joined by three ex-Army REME friends collectively known as ‘The Atlantic Mavericks’.
Ian Davies, a 59-year-old former serviceman from Shropshire has always been one for challenges for charity. In 2009 he drove a one-litre car to Mongolia and in 2013 he swam the Solent. Then just one week after swimming the English Channel in 2014 he was diagnosed with myeloma.
Speaking about his treatment and the challenge Ian said, “I received 18 months of treatment and had a transplant on my 55th birthday. Fortunately, I am now in remission. At the end of 2015 I wanted to prove to myself that I was still capable of keeping fit and raising funds for people less fortunate than myself.
I decided a long-term challenge was the way forward to raise significant monies for some great charities. So how about rowing the Atlantic! More people have been into space, or climbed Everest than have rowed the Atlantic, it is a huge challenge. Rowing the 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in 45 days will test the limit of our physical and mental strength but we can achieve something unthinkable and truly remarkable. It takes a certain kind of person to keep going when faced with blisters, salt rash, sharks and sleep deprivation. But we all knew we were doing it for such a worthwhile cause.’
Oswestry Cancer Buddies, Linda Lade said, ‘Ian is an inspiration to all of us that, with a good attitude, anything is possible. Life is for living by having the drive to achieve great things’.
The next challenge for Ian Davis and fellow Mavericks is to cycle from Plymouth to Bilbao in Spain – a distance of 1000 miles!
Oswestry Cancer Buddies meet every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month in the Meeting Room of Oswestry Library, Arthur Street, Oswestry 2.30 to 3.30pm. Linda greets everyone with a smile and a cuppa.
More information is available on Facebook @oswestrycancerbuddies, contacting Linda on 07711 981984, www.oswestrycancerbuddies.com or via email at oswestrycancerbuddies@gmail.com.
