A diverse crew of five, known as Team Sea Legs, will embark on the world’s toughest rowing race, 2022 GB Row Challenge on 12th June, looking to collect crucial scientific data to support coastal welfare and raise money for charity.

The GB Row Challenge will see Team Sea Legs complete a 2,000 mile rowing race around Britain’s coastlines, starting and ending at London’s Tower Bridge.

Arguably the toughest rowing race in the world because of the tidal navigation, busy shipping lanes and storms, the GB Row Challenge requires good navigation skills, as well as the tactical ability to make the most of weather and sea conditions, which can be as important as a team’s strength, stamina and endurance.

Three crews will race in the 2022 GB Row Challenge, all highly diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity, mobility and background including Paralympians, Olympians and scientists, representing Britain as a whole.

Proudly supported by headline sponsor, Spencer Churchill, Team Sea Legs consists of British adventurer, Chris Howard from Cambridge, former RAF navigator, Emma Wolstenholme from Burnley, endurance sport world record holder, Jason McKinley from Devon, bobsleigh Olympian, Lamin Deen from London and selected for GB Para development squad working towards Tokyo. Sophie Harris from Devon.

The crew was formed from an aligned passion for the environment, with the 2022 GB Row Challenge also aiding a partnership with the University of Portsmouth, undertaking a detailed survey of pollution around Great Britain’s waters.

Throughout the race, samples of microplastics, environmental DNA (eDNA), temperature, noise and salinity will be gathered by teams with a range of sensors and equipment attached to their vessels. Researchers from the University of Portsmouth will then analyse the samples. As the race progresses, a map of microplastic and noise pollution around the UK will be developed for the very first time.

Data on microplastics, temperature, sound and noise pollution and biodiversity, will together create the largest dataset of its kind taken around British waters. The four-year partnership between GB Row Challenge and the scientists from the University of Portsmouth is poignant because now more than ever, it is of the utmost importance that we protect our oceans not just for the sake of marine life but also ourselves.

Oceans are critical carbon and heat sinks and on the front line in the fight against climate change. They are also intrinsically linked to the survival of humanity with over 50% of the human population living in coastal zones.

Team Sea Legs will also be fundraising for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, looking to raise £10,000 in support of The Royal Marsden, a world-leading cancer centre as it conducts life-saving research. The money raised will help The Royal Marsden continue in funding clinical trials that give patients at the hospital, across the UK and around the world access to the latest breakthrough drugs, offering patients world-leading treatment and care and investing in state-of-the-art equipment.

Speaking ahead of the GB Row Challenge, Chris Howard, skipper of Team Sea Legs said: “This is a race with a difference for all of us because we are aiding something that is so important to the survival of our planet, coastal welfare. As a crew, we came together with the collective purpose of wanting to drive change, and that comes from supporting GB Row Challenge and the University of Portsmouth in conducting this essential survey on pollution in Great British waters.”

“We are so proud to be a diverse and highly skilled crew, all bringing different and essential skill sets to this challenge, which we hope will be the challenge of a lifetime and help raise essential funds for the incredible Royal Marsden Charity.”

CEO of Spencer Churchill, Adam Pope added: “When Chris approached me about what Team Sea Legs wanted to achieve at the GB Row Challenge, one thing that really stood out to me was the collective passion for the environment and wanting to collect crucial scientific data that can be used to support our understanding of coastal welfare and protect our waters. This isn’t just another challenge to the team, they really want to make a difference that will have a lasting impact and that is what makes them so special. We are so proud to support such a diverse and talented team and wish them the very best of luck on their intrepid voyage.”

GB Row Challenge is entering its next exciting phase as the prestigious Annual Around Great Britain Rowing Race, with nearly 20 years’ rich heritage and a history of new Guinness World Records. In June 2022, while the three competing GB Row Challenge crews battle their way, unsupported, around the gruelling 3,500km course to circumnavigate the British Isles, they will undertake the largest-ever collection of marine biology data of its kind in the UK.

GB Row Challenge is working exclusively for a minimum of four years with the University of Portsmouth and this collaboration is being led by Dr Fay Couceiro. The aim is to not only highlight the environmental impact of humans on our planet, but also – by creating awareness – to change human behaviour.

Working alongside race outreach charity partner Active Row, many schools, teams and businesses will be participating in a virtual indoor rowing challenge that follows the actual GB Row Challenge crews on an interactive Race Tracker website, helping to foster an enjoyment for rowing while learning about the important work of the University of Portsmouth and their data analysis.

Spencer Churchill is delighted to be involved and headline sponsor as this project aligns with the firm’s culture for adventure, innovation, diversity, commitment to supporting sustainability projects and connects GB Row with the firm’s sports law division.

Directed by Adam Pope, Spencer Churchill provides entrepreneurial legal advice to small-medium sized businesses, entrepreneurs, founders, and ambitious start-ups, in a wide range of legal disciplines, offering services including corporate, commercial, litigation and employment law services to entrepreneurs, start-ups and business owners. Their activities also include contract review, negotiation, and drafting, dealing with disputes, debt recovery and employment/HR support and advice.

A new breed of law firm, Spencer Churchill is a collaborative of entrepreneurs who enjoy being lawyers; with clients and the team are at the heart of everything. The combination of innovative business model and down-to-earth-nature, they are uniquely placed to deliver one of the leading advisory businesses in legal and professional services.

The dynamic legal firm offers professional and progressive legal solutions to protect businesses and help them prosper. Passionate about driving change and having a winning mentality, Pope is a prevalent supporter of the local community and looks to nurture a down-to-earth work place that inspires and enables future generations. To find out more, visit spencerchurchill.co.uk