Well-wishers throw leeks to mark end of firefighters' epic Atlantic row
TWO Welsh firefighters have spoken of their emotional reunion with friends and family after rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic.
John Haskell and Jamie Windsor battled exhaustion, salt sores and 20ft waves in a rowing boat from the Canaries to Barbados.
The dynamic duo, from South Wales, were greeted by scores of well-wishers throwing leeks after an almost record-breaking 45 days, 19 hours and 21 minutes.
TWO Welsh firefighters have spoken of their emotional reunion with friends and family after rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic.
John Haskell and Jamie Windsor battled exhaustion, salt sores and 20ft waves in a rowing boat from the Canaries to Barbados.
They came fourth in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge and are hoping to raise £100,000 for Breast Cancer Care, Help for Heroes, WRVS and the Fire Service Fund.
Mr Haskell, 44, said of the challenge: “We’re both grown men, we’re both firefighters and we’ve done some pretty extreme stuff but the pair of us were terrified and we could see it in each others’ eyes.
“We’d have knockdowns on the boat, the waves were breaking on us and we had eyes like dinner plates. It was terrifying.
“But to be given the experience of doing that I do feel spoiled, as hard as it was sometimes.”
The second half of Team Pendovey Swift, Mr Haskell, said the return to shore was overwhelming.
“There were 100 people waving flags and throwing leeks at us because we are Welsh, which was brilliant. The two of us had tears in our eyes coming in,” he said.
The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge saw 17 crews from around the world leave La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 5.
But with two capsizes, seasickness and boat defects, only seven crews are still participating in the marathon 3,000-mile crossing.
Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/01/23/well-wishers-throw-leeks-to-mark-end-of-firefighters-epic-atlantic-row-91466-30181228/#ixzz1kbMNAtCm
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