ReachExtra
Journalist: Chris Gomez
Lee ‘The Rowing Marine’ Spencer will be setting sail from Ocean Village, Gibraltar on a non-stop, and unsupported voyage that will take him a gruelling 3,500 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, where he hopes to arrive in French Guiana in no more than 60-70 days – beating the solo world record set by Stein Hoff in 2002.
Lee served 24 years in the Royal Marines, serving three 6-month tours of Afghanistan and becoming Section Commander in ‘Charlie Company 40 Commando’ during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. He came home unscathed, but an act of heroism led to tragedy in 2014 when a car crashed on the M3 motorway.
“I pulled over and was helping the people who had crashed when another car crashed into theirs and I was hit by the engine; severing my right leg from below the knee. Luckily, a Rastafarian called Frank turned up, and with his help I directed him to apply a tourniquet while his daughter stood on my groin to stop the flow of blood – they saved my life.” Lee told us.
Now, Lee has his sights on breaking two records in 2019. Equipped with a prosthetic leg (plus a spare) and sheer determination, he is preparing to become the first physically disabled person to row solo across the Atlantic from Gibraltar to French Guiana – hoping to beat the able-bodied record set in 2002 as well as set his own.
His purpose-built rowing boat proudly carries the quote “not defined by disability”, and this is the inspirational message that Lee wants to get out to anyone struggling with a disability:
“One day I’m running a 52 mile marathon, and 6 months later I find myself a disabled person; I thought that the person I was the night before, a person who defined themselves by physicality, was gone” Lee explains, “I thought I had to redefine who I was, it was only until I rowed across the Atlantic in 2016 that I realised I was the same person. That’s why I’m passionate about this, no one should be defined by their disability whatever it may be.”
In 2016 Lee was part of the ‘Row-to-Recovery’ team of four injured veterans who became the first British, all-amputee team, with just three legs between them, to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic.
During their record-breaking row the team was confronted by Hurricane Alex and 40-foot waves, a ‘freak hurricane’ that was the first to hit the Atlantic in January in 78 years. Lee’s 2016 row has helped him mentally and physically prepare for this newest challenge, but as Lee told us:
“I’ve got everything I could possibly need to take on this challenge, I haven’t scrimped on any equipment because I want to give myself the best possible chance of succeeding, but as you know – the Atlantic Ocean will have the last word.”
Interestingly, Lee says that he thinks that the most arduous part of the journey will be departing the Mediterranean because of the strong current entering from the Atlantic Ocean.
Lee is raising money for two charities close to his heart: The Endeavor Fund and The Royal Marines Charity, and you can donate any amount to this worthy cause at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LeeJSpencer
You can watch him set sail from Gibraltar on the 12th of December at Ocean Village Marina. For updates, follow Lee at facebook.com/therowingmarine
