Four friends from the Cotswolds are taking on the Atlantic Ocean as they compete in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 2021.

The team, Elijah's Star, will be raising money for Action Medical Research with a punchy £200k target to underline the significance of their undertaking. 

The Talisker Whisky Challenge is the premier event in ocean racing and is recognised as the world's toughest row covering more than 3,000 miles between the start in the Canary Islands and the end point in Antigua and Barbuda.

Philip Bigland from Kemble, Tetbury resident Dean Frost along with Mac McCarthy and Kevin Watkins make up the crew of Elijah's Star and are longstanding acquaintances who have all served in the armed forces.

The crew has set their goal on completing the 3000-mile row in 37 days in memory of baby Elijah whose life was cut short due to necrotising enterocolitis, a devastating bowel infection in babies.

He was born at 25 weeks and three days, weighing just 823g and lived for just 37 days. Elijah's story helps generate awareness of NEC and other childhood diseases and contributes to raising funds for Action Medical Research's work in combatting diseases that can devastate the lives of sick and disabled babies and young children. 

During the race the crew will be self-sufficient battling waves of up to 20 feet in a 28x5 foot boat. Individual and team mettle will be tested by rowing and sleeping continuously in two hour blocks with sleep deprivation, salt sores and physical boundaries being broken on a daily basis.

Philip and Dean have already experienced the rigours of endurance events having completed the week-long Marathon des Sables in the Sahara in 2017.  In line with the enormity of the task, the crew are already in training and are being supported by an extensive crew comprising a rowing coach, nutritionist, and local support from South Cerney Sailing Club.

The crew will be sharing their gruelling training schedules on social media platforms as well as carrying out numerous UK and European rowing races to prepare themselves for the task. 

Dean said: “Each of us has been touched by the debilitating illness of a helpless baby or child and we want play our part in raising awareness and money for the amazing people at Action Medical Research.

“This race is like no other with more people having achieved Everest, hence we are aiming high with what we want to raise. The boat is a blank canvas in terms of sponsorship and the premise of battling the Atlantic is a great metaphor for the current commercial climate and we hope local businesses as well as our wide network will want to get involved.”