World record rower tells of elation, determination and personality clashes

Jan 31 2008 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

A WORLD record- breaking rower, who had never picked up an oar in his life before he began training last August, has returned home to Liverpool.

Father-of-one Oliver Dudley, 31, from Woolton, spent a gruelling 33 days at sea rowing across the Atlantic.

He was one of a 14-strong team who smashed the Transatlantic rowing world record by two days on January 17 – a feat not achieved for 16 years despite 60 attempts by other crews.

The property developer, who was striving for a career as a rugby player before he broke his neck on the training field eight years ago, says he was not going to let anything stop him getting a place on the record-breaking team, despite his lack of experience.

Now back in Liverpool Oliver is looking forward to getting his body clock back to normal and spending time with 10-month-old daughter Amelia.

Team mate Stuart Curshaw, 27, from Formby, is planning to produce a film chronicling the journey and will begin preparations when he returns home later this week.

Oliver, who has lived in Liver-pool for four years, said: “It was so unbelievably tough, it is hard to imagine but the expedition was the equivalent of playing eight football matches a day for 34 days, but I am so glad I have done it.

“It was the most amazing feeling in the world when we arrived in Barbados at the end of the journey. Lots of our family and friends greeted us, along with TV crews and paparazzi, we felt very proud.”

Oliver had never rowed before joining training sessions last August, and after fighting for a place on the team almost did not make it after suffering from a last-minute hip injury.

He said: “I was so determined to get on the team, there was no way it was not going to happen as far as I was concerned and the injury was not going to stop me getting on that boat.

“I started going to all the training sessions and after people dropped out for one reason or another I made it into the crew.

“After coming so far it was touch and go when I injured my hip but it made an amazing recovery and did not cause me many problems whilst on the expedition– the body is unbelievably resilient in such extreme conditions.

“But psychologically the experience is so testing, you have personality clashes to deal with that are magnified in the conditions and lack of sleep.

“You do get into a routine but during the last 450 miles that all went out of window as we strived to catch up for any lost time.”

The British and Irish team left Gran Canaria on December 15 last year, using the same boat which broke the record 16 years ago with a French crew on board – setting the unbeaten time of 35 days.

The boat, named La Mondiale, was rescued by the 2007 crew as they knew it would stand them in good stead for the record attempt. And they were proved right, finishing the journey in 33 days and winning the Blue Riband Trophy.

Oliver has already raised £10,000 for his chosen children’s charity Napac. To donate to the fund log on to www.justgiving.com/oliverdudley

lizawilliams