A BRAVE mother and two sons are to row nearly 5,000 kms for up to eight weeks from the Canaries to the Caribbean in a challenge dubbed the “World’s Toughest”.
The family, from Arranmore Island in Donegal, are undertaking the epic row to raise money for the RNLI.
Sharon O’Donnell and her sons Evan and Glenn announced their campaign today (Tuesday) as Team Trasna na dTonnta.
Sharon said: “The sea has always been part of our lives. Living on Arranmore, you understand very quickly that the ocean can be both beautiful and unforgiving.
“The RNLI is a huge part of our coastal community, and for us this challenge is a way of supporting our crew’s while taking on an incredible adventure together as a family.”
Sharon O’Donnell is leading her two sons in an pic Atlantic row for the RNLI.
A spokesperson said: “The mother and her two sons from Arranmore are preparing to take on one of the world’s toughest endurance challenges — rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean as part of the World’s Toughest Row.
“They will row from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean, a journey expected to take approximately 40 to 60 days at sea.
“The challenge is about much more than crossing an ocean.
“Sharon and Evan are volunteer seagoing crew with Arranmore RNLI, giving the family a deeply personal connection to the cause they have chosen to support.
“Growing up surrounded by the Atlantic, the family understands both the beauty and the power of the sea, and the importance of having trained volunteers ready to respond when lives are at risk.”
Glenn O’Donnell’s family is to row the Atlantic.
The spokesperson added: “The team will face weeks of isolation, changing weather, powerful Atlantic swells, sleep deprivation and the physical demands of rowing around the clock.
“Their Irish name, Trasna na dTonnta, means ‘across the waves’ and reflects their Arranmore roots, Irish identity, and lifelong connection with the sea.
“The team is now launching its campaign and is calling on individuals, businesses and communities across Donegal and Ireland to get behind them as they prepare for the challenge.
“The campaign will follow the family’s training, preparation and fundraising journey in the months ahead, giving supporters an insight into what it takes to prepare for and attempt a 3,000-mile [4,828-km] ocean crossing.”
Their campaign has an official launch at Arranmore lifeboat station this Thursday, August 6.
Evan O’Donnell and his Arranmore family are to row the Atlantic.
The spokesperson said: “The team is rowing in support of the RNLI, a charity that saves lives at sea and depends on public support.
“With two members of the crew already volunteering with Arranmore RNLI, the cause is particularly close to the family’s hearts.
“The team’s dedicated RNLI fundraiser allows supporters to donate directly to the charity.
“People can follow Team Trasna na dTonnta and find out how to support the campaign on the trasna-na-dtonnta.ie website.”
Arranmore family’s epic row route.