72-year-old from Leicester to become world record holder
A 72-year-old man from Leicestershire could become a world record holder today, for being the oldest person to row solo across the Atlantic.
Graham Walters set off from Gran Canaria in January to try and achieve the Guinness World Record, which is currently being held by a Frenchman called Gerard Marie, who completed the same solo challenge in 2015, aged 66.
Graham is hoping to land in Antigua today at the end of his 3,000 mile journey - not seeing another human until he gets there, as his journey has been entirely solo and unsupported, with all of his supplies being kept on his boat.
Graham is also trying to raise awareness and funding for Help for Heroes, after he helped several wounded veterans who were supported by the charity and taking part in another Atlantic rowing race when he was on their support boat.
At the time of writing he had raised £430 of his £500 fundraising target.
This is Graham's third solo crossing - he's also done two two-man crossings - and his fifth Atlantic crossing.
He's completing the challenge in his Atlantic row boat, which, as a carpenter by trade, he built 22 years ago in his front garden so he could take part in the first Atlantic rowing race in 1997. The boat is named George Geary, after his grandfather, who was a cricket player for Leicestershire and England.
Graham's progress is being monitored by the Ocean Rowing Society as official adjudicators for Guinness World Records. It has also been tracked online.
Graham's wife Jean, who's 62, said: ““He had a rocky start, with the lights going, a leak in one of the compartments and the boat bucking like a bronco!”
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