Atlantic Flyers

Our Reception class was lucky enough to welcome a special visitor to hear all about a very impressive challenge that is taking place over the next few weeks.

Wing Commander Sonny Roe, a parent of one of our pupils, will be setting off on an epic 3,000 mile rowing race across the Atlantic as part of a team called the Atlantic Flyers. On the 12^th December, he will board an ocean rowing boat, along with three other RAF pilots, and attempt to race unaided across the Atlantic Ocean, for the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. Competing against up to 30 other teams from across the world, they will travel 3,000 miles west from San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain to Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, Antigua and Barbuda.

Pupils thoroughly enjoyed finding out all about Wing Commander Roe’s upcoming adventure and found out lots of fascinating facts including, ‘each team will row in excess of 1.5 million oar strokes over a race’ and ‘rowers will row for 2 hours, and sleep for 2 hours, constantly, 24 hours a day’. The children had lots of questions to ask: "Where will you go to the toilet?", "Will you pack your pyjamas?" and "Do you think you will jump in and swim in the sea?"!

The children also found out about a special little girl called Isla, the daughter of one Wing Commander Roe’s teammates, who is the inspiration for the challenge. Their epic trip marks the milestone of Isla’s five year remission from Leukaemia and will raise money for Starlight, a charity granting wishes for little heroes.

Good luck from everyone here at St Hugh’s – we think it’s safe to say the Atlantic Flyers will have earned their Challenging Cheetah and Team Player Tortoise badge when they get home!

To find out more about the challenge and to track the team’s progress, visit: www.atlanticflyers2021.com/