'I bet he has arms like Schwarzenegger': Veteran makes history by rowing solo around UK
A veteran Parachute Regiment officer has made history by becoming the first person to row more than 1,800 miles solo around Britain via the Great Glen – an impressive feat he completed in just 49 days.
Mike Ellicock, 50, set off from the John Harvey Tavern in Lewes in Sussex on 30 April just after 11:00 and arrived in Newhaven, also in Sussex, on 18 June at 20:14, raising vital funds for military charity Support Our Paras.
In total, Mr Ellicock rowed 1,820 miles over 49 days, spending 41 days actively rowing and eight days off the water due to bad weather conditions, which made it too dangerous to row.
He said: "This challenge has been three years in the making, with over 2,500 miles rowed in preparation but I still felt the chance of success was low.
"The trip has been unbelievably tough, but also an adventure of a lifetime with amazing scenery and wildlife and wonderful support from everyone I have met.
"I am not a religious person, but it does feel like I have been allowed to pass unharmed through so, so many dangerous and intimidating sections of our coastline.
"I'm not sure why I have been but I'm incredibly grateful to have been able to get around safely and so fast.
"I can't wait to reunite with everyone who has supported me, right where this challenge began almost 50 days ago at the John Harvey Tavern."
Mr Ellicock was wounded in action during a hostage rescue in Sierra Leone in 2000, when he was a 25-year-old parachute regiment platoon commander.
The father-of-three wanted to be the first to row solo around Great Britain in an expedition rowing boat to honour his former colleagues and raise funds for the charity Support Our Paras.
He added: "The Parachute Regiment motto is 'Ready for Anything' and this rowing challenge takes inspiration from former Paratroopers Captain John Ridgway and Sergeant Chay Blyth, who set the record for crossing the Atlantic in a rowing boat in 1966.
"As a 25-year-old Parachute Regiment platoon commander, I was wounded in action during a hostage rescue in Sierra Leone but made a full recovery and subsequently had the privilege of commanding paratroopers on operations again before making a successful and rewarding transition into civilian life.
"Not all my former brothers in arms were so fortunate and that's why I chose this challenge as a way to honour them and raise money for Support Our Paras."
This is not the first time the veteran has undertaken an epic challenge, having previously taken on the Bob Graham Round and the Devizes-to-Westminster Canoe race.
In addition, he became a Guinness World Record Holder in 2013 for running the London Marathon with a 40lb (18kg) pack in three hours, 25 minutes and 21 seconds.
Mr Ellicock spent this year's challenge in a Canadian-designed boat which is a combination of a sea kayak and ocean rowing boat, merging manoeuvrability and speed with stability and additional carrying capacity.
It also enabled night rowing to exploit the power of the tide more effectively.
"The boat worked amazingly well," he added. "I can't fault it and am looking forward to future expeditions in her but hopefully with others and in slower time, now that I've turned 50."
Throughout the record attempt, Mr Ellicock was rowing for up to 18 hours per day, using 7,000 calories and needing to drink up to eight litres of carbohydrate and electrolyte mix.
To ensure he could row around Great Britain faster than any solo person before him, the veteran had spent time with fuelling and hydration experts, Precision Fuel & Hydration (a company he co-founded) to ensure his body performed at its best throughout the expedition.
Andy Blow, the other co-founder of Precision Fuel & Hydration, spoke about the challenge before Mr Ellicock finished, saying: "This was no small undertaking, so a great deal of effort went into preparing for the record attempt, particularly in fine-tuning the nutrition and hydration strategy to ensure Mike could physically row solo around Great Britain faster than anyone before him.
"We're incredibly proud of Mike who is one of the original co-founders of Precision Fuel & Hydration and will be cheering him as he returns to Lewes from the finish point, a place that holds special significance for both the team and Mike, as it's where he and I started Precision Fuel & Hydration back in 2012."
Mr Ellicock added: "The Precision Fuel & Hydration team has been instrumental in supporting me with my fuelling strategy to help me deal with this gruelling journey so I can help raise funds for Support Our Paras and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)."
To find out more about the veteran's record-breaking row around Great Britain to raise money for Support Our Paras, visit Pegasus Round and follow Mr Ellicock's voyage on Instagram on @Pegasus_Round
Additionally, the veteran thanks the other organisations that have supported his row, including Harvey's Brewery and Finisterre.
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