War hero Alex rowing 3000 miles for charity

Dec 9 2011 by Jennifer Buchanan, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A WAR hero is taking on the challenge of the lifetime.

For ex-paratrooper Alex Mackenzie is rowing 3000 miles across open ocean to raise funds for forces charities.

During his days in the army, Alex saw active duty in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

And the 33-year-old witnessed first hand his brothers-in-arms being injured by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

The sight of his comrades losing limbs to the makeshift bombs fuelled the fire in Alex to do something to help.

So the Troon man is joining with five other military men to row across theAtlantic from Canary Island La Gomera to Barbados.

And four of the determined rowers taking part in the epic challenge have lost limbs in combat.

It’s estimated that the journey will take about 60 days, but it could take up to 90.

And the team, named Row2Recovery, will be totally self sufficient for the entire time.

Their onboard navigation and communications systems are solar powered and they will eat nothing but dehydrated sachets.

So before the group launched on Monday, they were busy building up their body weight to cope with the conditions.

Only 284 people have ever managed to complete this route before.

The tropical conditions means the Row2Recovery team will have to endure blistering sunshine as well as cold nights, and maybe even torrential rain and gale force winds of tropical storms.

And Alex’s worried mum, Ginnie, will be keeping her fingers crossed until she hears her son is safe and sound.

She said: “I really thought when Alex was in Afghanistan, that would be the last ghastly six months I would have with him, but no such luck.

“The only thing that’s slightly reassuring is that they are part of a race.

“But it’s not as though there will be a helicopter flying overhead all the time, they’ll be totally alone.”

The team is aiming to raise £1 million to split between Help for Heroes, the Soldiers Charity (formerly the Army Benevolent Fund) and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Families Association (SSAFA).

But it’s not just about the money, the group want to prove injured troops can go beyond injury and achieve the extraordinary.

But the journey is also about recognising the struggles and sacrifices made by their loved ones, and make sure they all have a place to turn to for help.

The determined Row2Recovery group have already raised £601,000 but they still have a long way to go.

To find out more about the Row2Recovery team and donate to the cause visit www.row2recovery.com