Rowing the Atlantic for Amy

A Beverley father who lost his daughter to a hidden cardiac condition has completed a gruelling 11-week, 3,000-mile solo row across the Atlantic Ocean to fund cardiac screening for thousands of children in state schools.

Andrew Osborne has raised more than £150,000 sponsorship which will fund screening of around 1,500 state school children who could be living with the same condition that his daughter Amy suffered from.

Amy Osborne, who was born and raised in Beverley, died in her sleep six years ago from an undiagnosed heart condition at the age of 25.

She became one of the 12 young people who die each week in the UK from this condition and like Amy, 80 per cent don’t experience any symptoms.

The family, who now live in Rutland, established a memorial fund with the charity CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young – to raise funds to provide screening for children and young adults.

On 8th January this year, Andrew left Gran Canaria for his solo row and arrived in Antigua on Monday 27th March – 78 days and 10 hours after setting off.

It has been a huge physical and mental challenge that has taken its toll. Last week in the closing stages he wrote in a blog from the small 20-foot rowing-boat:

“It feels like waiting to be released from prison…It is now in my grasp and I am determined to get there as fast as I can.,” he wrote.

“The heat is a constant battle. I know everyone thinks it must be lovely in the sunshine….but when the only shelter you have got is a plastic box, there is no escape.

“Some days it is 40 degrees plus and it becomes unbearably hot inside and outside the cabin.

“James Cracknell, who rowed the Atlantic back in 2005, told me over email that this would be more of a mental battle than a physical one and he is certainly right. Like anything, there are good things and bad things about being out here …this really is an adventure of a lifetime.

“With all her ferocity, unpredictability and mystery, the Atlantic really is a majestic place to be and for that I am truly grateful.

“I just have to keep going, keep rowing, one stroke at a time. I will get there, come hell or high water.”

Andrew’s final words to his family as he rowed away from Pasito Blanco were that he wanted to be greeted on the Antiguan shore with a Jack Daniels with ginger, an ice-cold coca cola, a burger and a large cigar.

All were waiting in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua, in abundance, but the greatest reward was being reunited with members of his family, including grandchildren, who had come out to welcome him back.

Before setting off, Andrew spoke at a fundraising event at the Cerutti 2 restaurant in Beverley about raising money in Amy’s memory.

He said: “I’m raising money specifically to test children in state schools, because the testing is all independently funded but it’s not happening very much in state schools.

“Amy was born in Beverley, she was educated around here, we grew up in Beverley…and so we’re hopefully going to test in some schools around here, which will be great to be able to do it locally.

“I wanted to raise money for the cause in Amy’s name and memory. She’d be the first to say ‘please support me in doing it,’ but she’d also be the first to say that ‘Daddy you’re a complete idiot for trying in the first place.”

Andrew said that through the tough times it was Amy who kept him going.

After completing the epic row, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab paid tribute to Andrew in Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 29th March.

He said: “Our heart-felt condolences go to the family of Amy. Likewise, our congratulations go to Andrew on an incredible feat. The fact that 12 young people die every week from an undiagnosed heart condition is something we all want to see an end to. There’s more resource going in. There’s more research going in.”

For more information, please visit the Row for Amy website: www.rowforamy.com and to support Andrew in his fundraising, please visit his fundraising page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rowforamy