18 May 2021
Simon Lyddon spent 42 days with 11 crew mates on marathon voyage from Tenerife to Antigua, and raised £15,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Simon Lyddon and “incredible” crew cross the finish line after rowing across the Atlantic.
Vet Simon Lyddon is back in practice after the adventure of a lifetime rowing the 2,875 nautical miles across the Atlantic.
Mr Lyddon wanted to join a crew across the ocean after a double cancer blow saw him lose his father Peter to prostate cancer and his wife Mel diagnosed with breast cancer.
He is now back on dry land at Vine Tree Vets, the practice he runs in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, having spent 42 days with 11 crew mates on the epic voyage and raising £15,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support in the process.
Mr Lyddon said: “It’s without a doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t put into words how I’m feeling right now. The sense of achievement is a little overwhelming.
“The journey was everything I wanted it to be – tough both physically and mentally, but hugely rewarding, and one thing is for sure, I wouldn’t be standing here at the finish line if it hadn’t been for each and every one of the incredible crew.
“What a gorgeous group of people who will remain lifelong friends. After catching up with my family, the thing I was most looking forward to was a good meal.”
The 12-strong crew left Marina San Miguel, Tenerife on 22 March and rowed into Falmouth Harbour, Antigua on 3 May in purpose-built boat Roxy. Each crew member, aged between 18 and 60, rowed more than 1.5 million strokes and burned up to 5,000 calories a day.
Mr Lyddon lost 10kg on the crossing – most of it in the first week as he struggled to eat due to sea sickness.
Collectively, on top of sea sickness, they also dealt with extreme blisters and callouses, and ocean storms, but celebrated with families on a flotilla of smaller boats before a reception at the Antigua Yacht Club.
Mr Lyddon added: “The kindness shown by each member of the team was the glue that kept us and the team together.”
The full crew, dubbed The Roxettes, were Charlie Pitcher, Dawn Wood, Louise Brown, Mark Collins, Ciara Burns, Sian Davies, Rupert Fenby, Sophie Hibbin, Ted Jackson, Ian “Boris” Kentfield, Simon Lyddon and Cat Withers.
