Get Busy Rowing – The world's toughest rowing challenge

The Challenge

In late 2025, our team of four will compete in the “World’s Toughest Row” from La Gomera in The Canary Islands to Antigua in The Caribbean, battling strong winds and waves of up to 60ft in aid of The Matt Hampson Foundation.

Far fewer people have completed this challenge than have summited Mount Everest, swum from England to France, or completed the infamous Marathon Des Sables in Morocco.

The Atlantic is restless and unforgiving. The flexible start time allows the smoothest crossing, but storms, strong winds and huge waves are almost inevitable.

20-60ft waves

Sub-zero to 35c

2hours on 2hours off rowing

1.5 million + oar strokes

Sleep deprivation

Sea sickness and hunger

Salt sores and blisters

The Atlantic row challenge route from La Gomera to Antigua

20 - 60ft waves

Sub-zero to 35c

Rowing 2 hours on 2 hours off

Sleep deprivation

Sea sickness and hunger

Salt sores and blisters

Claustrophobia

Zero privacy

Miles of rowing across open waters in the Atlantic

+

Oar strokes to reach our destination in Antigua

+

Days at sea without setting foot on dry land

£

Our fundraising target for our chosen charities

Why Get Busy Rowing?

We are fundraising for The Matt Hampson Foundation, an inspirational charity close to team member Greg's heart that supports young people with serious sporting injuries. Some learn to thrive, others become Paralympians.

It was started by Matt Hampson AKA “Hambo” following an injury he sustained playing youth rugby for England. Matt was a young Leicester Tiger who was paralysed after a scrum accident when practising for England U20s. He didn’t give up on life and has raised many thousands to support people, especially young sports people, to live their best lives.

Greg is an ambassador for the charity and friends with Matt, and has supported him and the charity all the way. He has given thousands in support as well as his time for over a decade.

The team's name, 'Get Busy Rowing,' is taken from the foundation’s Get Busy Living Centre in Leicestershire, UK, where people train mentally and physically to cope and achieve. It has been used as a hashtag for previous rowing events, but nothing on this scale. Our logo is also borrowed from Hambo. (He doesn’t mind.)

The Matt Hampson Foundation helps people with serious sporting injuries

“when I saw boats completing the Atlantic Row, I knew I had found my event.”

My mother, Pamela, was an inspirational character with a can-do attitude, a charitable nature and a love of sport. When she died, the family started fundraising in her memory.

Having started off thinking about creating a charity, instead we have focused on completing increasingly ambitious challenges.

We have people running marathons, ultramarathons, doing ocean swims and 100-mile bike rides. My brother even made the Guinness Book of Records for the longest ever squash match. I am not one to be outdone. Having recovered from a hip replacement, I was looking for something epic. On vacation in Antigua, when I saw boats completing the Atlantic Row, I knew I had found my event.

Crew team leader Greg Collins

Meet The Team

Greg Collins

Kevin Luff

Elliot Collins

Steve Easter

more about the team

Our Boat: 'Pamela'

Unlike 75% of the team, Pamela has made the crossing before. It’s a positive feature of the event that our boat is reused. It is also reassuring to know that our vessel is up to the task!!

Pamela is pristine again with a large unpainted area ready to be adorned with sponsors’ branding.

The boat is named after Greg’s mum and Elliot’s grandmother, who was the inspiration for Begone Dull Care, the charity that will collect the money exclusively for the Matt Hampson Foundation.

The boat is completely self-sufficient, equipped with all of our food, drink, and survival equipment. Electricity for essential navigation, water, and communications devices is generated by solar panels – sustainable transport at its purist.

It’s not just a reused boat and the use of human and solar power that make our Atlantic crossing sustainable - everything on board is counted. All containers and packaging are then audited at the finish to ensure no rubbish has gone into the sea.

learn more

Sponsor Opportunities

the boat for our atlantic rowing challenge

The world's toughest row