Click photo to enlarge
Hamish Ludbrook (25), of Wanaka, is rowing his heart out to
raise $10,000 for prostate cancer awareness. He raised $28
yesterday. Photo by Marjorie Cook.
Hamish Ludbrook (25), of Wanaka, has decided to share the
pain of his mates' campaign to be the first four-man team to
row 5742km across the Indian Ocean, and raise money for
prostate cancer charities.
Yesterday, Mr Ludbrook set up his rowing machine on a small
reserve outside the Lake Wanaka Centre, where he intends to
row for two hours a day until he raises $10,000 towards his
friends' target of at least $180,000.
He clocked up 22.5km in his first daily rowing stint, raising
$28.
He was philosophical about the small progress towards his
goal, compared with what his friends were facing.
"Oh well. I will have to be rowing for a long, long time if
that's the case."
His friends Matt Hampel (32), Billy Gammon (35), Tom Wigram
(30) and Pete Staples (38), all formerly from the UK and now
living and working in Auckland, are now 25 days into their
60- to 70-day, 5742km journey from Geraldton, West Australia,
to Mauritius.
Their team, Rowing for Prostate, is using a 8.8m by 1.8m boat
named Glenda, which a British Army team rowed across the
Atlantic Ocean in 2006.
The boat has since been modified to meet the requirements of
the Indian Ocean Rowing Race organisers.
Rowing for Prostate (RFP) is one of seven teams still
competing in the inaugural race (four have withdrawn so far)
and has had to deal with storms, broken slides and loss of
solar power.
The most recent update on the race website shows the team in
second place, behind the all-female team Ocean Angels from
the UK.
Back in Wanaka, Mr Ludbrook said he did not realise how hard
it would be to row for two hours, and after 40 minutes he
felt he was struggling.
But his friends knew he was doing it, and that had given them
a pick-up, Mr Ludbrook said.
The idea to do the Indian Ocean race came from a New Year's
Eve conversation about prostate cancer, when his friends
decided to do something amazing before they died, Mr Ludbrook
said.
He declined an invitation to take part, because he was
supporting his sister Erica and her husband, Jason, while
their 2-year-old daughter Lily Farrimond received treatment
for a stomach cancer at Starship Hospital, in Auckland.
Unfortunately, Lily did not survive the cancer.
"She was so amazing and incredible. She didn't complain. She
was just inspiring, which is why I am doing this," Mr
Ludbrook said.
The race
Indian Ocean rowing race
Distance: 5742km between Western Australia and
Mauritius.
Departed: April 19.
Entrants: 11 - two solo rowers, four pairs, four teams of
four and one team of eight.
Withdrawals: Four - two pairs, one four and one solo.
Positions so far: All-female UK team Ocean Angels in the lead
(2024km to go); all-male Auckland team, Rowing for Prostate,
second (2106km to go).
Websites: www.indianoceanrowingrace09.com;
www.rowingforprostate.com
