AN OSWESTRY ex-soldier who will be rowing across the Atlantic - and racing against his daughter - is continuing with fundraising and will be heading out on the water to prepare him for the gruelling challenge.
Ian Davies will be rowing from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Carribean in December this year to raise money for charity, Myeloma UK as part of the team Never2Late and will be racing against his daughter Danielle Jones and her husband, Mark.
Myeloma UK is close to Ian because he was diagnosed with myeloma in 2014.
Ian previously rowed across the Atlantic as part of the Atlantic Mavericks team in 2019 and he will be heading to Oxford, where his team mate Jim Ronaldson lives, to raise more funds for their challenge.
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He explained: "Our next big one is going to be in the Westgate Shopping Centre in Oxford, which is huge.
"We are going to be putting our names out there and hopefully pick up some sponsors.
"We have friends and families donate some money to us.
"It is going to cost a lot of money to do this, but that is how you get there.
"You do put in £50 a time. It is hard work."
Ian confirmed he is looking to raise funds which will enable him to get the boat to the starting point and back.
He said: "For our boat, we are almost there.
"We have just got to find £10,000 to get it to La Gomera and back."
Ian confirmed that both he, Jim, Danielle and her husband Mark had completed courses which will prepare them for being out at sea.
He said: "We have done our training.
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"It consisted of our sea survival training, our navigation courses and VHS radio training.
"Now with the weather gettting better, it is case of getting in the water and do 120 hours in the water, including 28 hours at night."
The ex-soldier said he has been rowing on nearby lakes and he intends to head to the North Wales coast to repare him for the tough challenge of the Atlantic.
He said: "I am hoping to head up to Porthmadog in the summer and spend five days in Cardigan Bay.
"Depending on the weather we might row to Ireland."
You can sponsor Ian via https://www.gofundme.com/f/rqbkc7-never2late
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