Grant Blakeway

Congratulations to Craig Forsyth of Spoarting Chance for completing the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 73 days, 7 hours, and 2 minutes! What a finish to the World's Toughest Row! Brilliant performance, Craig. Enjoy the celebrations on land, and make the most of beautiful Antigua while you're here. Well done!

Thank you for sharing the story, Berea Mail! It was fantastic to have so many KZN supporters cheering me on during the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge!

Eco-warrior finishes World's Toughest Row | Berea Mail After a two-year struggle to the start line, Grant Blakeway completed a 3000-mile solo row from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to English Harbour, Antigua and Barbuda.

Congratulations to Jasmine Harrison of Rudderly Mad for completing the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 70 days, 3 hours, and 48 minutes! What an amazing performance from start to finish from this 21-year-old record-setter! Jasmine, it was so great to watch you row into English Harbour - cool, calm, and full of smiles. Enjoy the celebrations on land, and treasure these epic memories. Well done!

Some light reading 👇 for the weekend, courtesy of The Independent On Saturday. Thank you for the great interview, Tanya Waterworth! Hard to believe that I rowed into English Harbour only a fortnight ago. Slowly, but surely, it's all sinking in. Still strange to see my name in print, though!

The world’s toughest row Welcomed with melktert from home

Wow, Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation! Reading this blog 👇 is like re-living the whole experience all over again! Really appreciate the support and encouragement throughout my Atlantic journey. To Maryke, Katja, Natalie, Renee, Ingrid, Devon, and the Two Oceans Aquarium community at large, thank you!

South African solo rower Grant Blakeway completes the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge Grant Blakeway completed the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge by solo rowing 4 800 km across the Atlantic. He did this to highlight the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean.

Have to admit that it feels a bit surreal to see my face in the newspaper! Two publications in two days! 🧐

Check out the Metro section of yesterday's Cape Times, or read the digital article here: https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/cape-times/20210216/281608128137965

And turn to Page 4 in today's Mercury to learn more about the Melokuhle mission.

Thank you for the coverage, Cape Times and The Mercury!

Hello, everyone. I don't really know where to start. But I do know that I want to say thank you, once again, to you all. You've seen and heard the messages that I sent through Adri and JP, and maybe I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but thank you. From me, personally, thank you.

What a journey. And what an amazing bunch of people I've had with me. From family and friends, to schoolmates and supporters, to total strangers. I didn't realise how many people had been cheering me on until recently... I've been reading through Adri's posts and JP's updates, and it's just so overwhelming to see the comments and words of encouragement from near and far.

When I was out at sea, Adri's daily phone call was the highlight of my day. She gave me news from home, race updates, advice, motivation, reassurance, and even a kick in the pants when I needed it! She's always been my biggest fan, and during our five months apart, she was my rock. I can't describe how I felt when I saw her in Antigua, but I remember being so glad just to be where she was. Just to be together again.

The days have flown by in a bit of a blur since Saturday the 6th. Melokuhle and I passed our post-race inspection, and she's been cleaned from bow to stern and back again. It's fairly quiet in Nelson's Dockyard now, but Melokuhle has had a few curious visitors, including a fellow Maritzburg College Old Boy working here. It was strange, but good, to hear another South African accent in this part of the world.

I haven't got my land legs back 100% yet, but we've been taking slow strolls around English Harbour to see as much as possible. I'm building up my strength day by day and eating like a lion (says Adri). My Talisker stash has been klapped. Properly. Down to the last drop. There was a lot to celebrate, and a lot to be thankful for. We've got a few more days to enjoy Antigua, and then we'll be heading back to SA. I can't wait to see family and friends, and to have a real braai at home!

Thank you, everyone, for playing a part in my Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge success. The World's Toughest Row is under my belt, but the Melokuhle mission is not over.

As I share my Atlantic tale in pictures and videos over the next few weeks, I really hope you'll get behind my fundraising campaign on BackaBuddy. Every cent counts. And every cent makes a difference. Learn more, here: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/melokuhle

Be back soon,
Grant

📣 Handing back to Grant 📣

Ahoy there, Melokuhle community! It's JP here. It's been a pleasure and a privilege to share Grant's Atlantic journey with you over the past two months. Thank you for having me! From tomorrow, the big man 👇 will be back at the wheel to (show and) tell you about his 3000-mile solo row.

I'll still be helping out with all the messages, comments, and emails coming through, so I'll see you around!

You're going to be blown away by the pictures and videos that Grant took at sea! Remember, he didn't have an internet connection out there, so his GoPro footage, his photos, and his video diaries couldn't be sent back to be shared. But you're going to see them soon, Melokuhle community. And believe me when I tell you that Grant gives new meaning to the words "grit" and "determination".

Watch this space!

And don't forget to support Grant's fundraising efforts if you can. Every cent helps, and you can donate on BackaBuddy 24 hours a day: www.backabuddy.co.za/melokuhle

Take care and stay safe, everyone.

👋 JP - Melokuhle land crew

Photo credit: Theo McInnes | www.theomcinnes.com

Congratulations to Martyn Thornton of Atlantic solo, who completed the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 64 days, 3 hours, and 5 minutes! Gritty performance, Martyn! Enjoy the celebrations in Antigua!

Here's 👇 the latest race update from the Atlantic Campaigns duty officers... Solo rowers Martyn Thornton of Atlantic solo, Jasmine Harrison of Rudderly Mad, and Craig Forsyth of Spoarting Chance are still at sea, making their way to Antigua. isn't over until these have arrived in English Harbour! You've got this, Martyn, Jasmine, and Craig! Row, row, row!

Thank you for sharing the story, Brent Lindeque and the Good Things Guy team! 🇿🇦🚣‍♂️

South African Solo Rower Grant Blakeway Completes World's Toughest Row! Melktert and a long-awaited reunion at the finish line as eco-warrior - Grant Blakeway - triumphs against the odds to conquer the World’s Toughest Row.