Essex pensioner aiming to become oldest man to row the Atlantic

Frank Rothwell has been attending Burnham Training Camp in Essex to prepare himself for a 3,000 mile row across the Atlantic Ocean.

The 70-year-old attends his last training session on October 19th before his boat is shipped off to the starting line in the Canary Islands.

Frank, who is a father of two and grandfather of three, will then take on the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge later this year.

He hopes to become the oldest person to complete it solo.

On Saturday 12th of December Frank will cast off from La Gomera, with the hope of reaching Antigua, and reuniting with his wife of 50 years, Judith, on Valentine's Day.

After witnessing the devastating impact of dementia, Frank's goal is to raise one million pounds for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

With the charity receiving less donations than normal due to the coronavirus pandemic, it could offer a real lifeline to dementia research. 

Speaking about why he’s taking on the challenge, Frank said:

“I would like to make a positive difference with my life, so that’s why I’m dedicating 18 months to raising much-needed funds and awareness for Alzheimer's Research UK. I’ve seen the heartbreak dementia causes, but at the moment there are no treatments to make it easier, or slow down its onset, never mind cure it. Unfortunately, charities like Alzheimer’s Research UK are going through a very difficult time during this pandemic, taking a huge loss in donations. I believe we can help Alzheimer’s Research UK find life-changing treatments and eradicate this terrible condition for our children and grandchildren. So, I’d be grateful to anyone who can support me.”

To kickstart the fundraising, Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation has agreed to match-fund the first £500,000 worth of donations.