Four Cornish rowers aim to raise over £100k when they take part in the premier event in ocean rowing later this year.

James Brittain-Long, Paul Hayes, Luke Morgan and David Radford-Wilson have entered as the Invictus Challenge team for the World’s Toughest Row, which is set to start on Thursday 12 December 2024.

Over 40 crews from around the world will compete in the annual race, consisting of a 3,000 nautical mile (5,556km) course across the Atlantic Ocean from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua.

The money raised from the Invictus Challenge will be donated to The Invictus Trust, a Cornish charity established to support adolescent mental health in Cornwall.

The Invictus Trust was set up by the Cowburn family from Truro in January 2011 dedicated to the memory of son and brother, 18-year-old Ben Cowburn, who took his own life after a period of mental illness.

Since then, the family has campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of adolescent mental health in Cornwall, to provide signposting for those struggling, and to lobby for improved services.

Most notably, the charity was instrumental in building the first adolescent mental health unit for Cornwall – the Sowenna Unit at Bodmin Community Hospital – and have currently invested £100K in Clear Counselling to provide free counselling in Cornwall for adolescents and their families.

Living and working at sea can significantly impact mental health due to prolonged isolation, limited social interaction, and separation from family and friends. The confined environment of a ship, coupled with the monotony of daily routines and potential exposure to harsh weather conditions, can exacerbate feelings of loneliness and stress. Moreover, the lack of immediate access to mental health support services further compounds these challenges.

With three of the four-man team having served in the Royal Navy, they are only fully aware of the challenges faced by those working at sea and the impact of poor mental health on young people in general.

In January this year the Invictus Trust invested £100,000 in launching a new pilot counselling service for 11 to 21-year-olds in Cornwall in partnership with another Cornish charity CLEAR, who are experts in adolescent mental health support.

The new service received over 100 referrals in the first eight days of opening and has delivered or scheduled over 1,000 counselling sessions in its first six months – demonstrating huge demand from young people in Cornwall struggling with poor mental health.

The Invictus Atlantic rowing team hopes to raise the £100,000 needed to run the counselling service for a second year. And by demonstrating the value it provides, the Invictus Trust hopes to secure a permanently funded solution for Cornwall from NHS commissioners.

Sharon Cowburn, who founded the Invictus Trust with husband Steve and daughters Sophia, Amber and Laura, said: “We’re thrilled that the team has chosen Invictus Trust as their charity. We know that demand for mental health services continues to rise among young people in Cornwall, and we are offering an accessible, bespoke service, so that when a young person, or their parent, reaches out for help via WhatsApp or email, they get a swift personal response and waiting times are really minimal.

“If we can show the ongoing value of our dedicated counselling service for 11 to 21-year-olds then we hope it could be permanently funded, supporting thousands of young people and saving families the heartbreak that we still feel every day from the loss of Ben. We wish the Invictus Atlantic team all the best in their huge challenge and hope the people and businesses of Cornwall will get behind them.”

The Invictus Challenge team comprises four close friends with long associations with Cornwall. They are:

• Local businessman and gig rower James Brittain-Long, 59, from Constantine.
• Former Royal Marine Commando and now teacher and school leader Paul Hayes, 61, from Falmouth.
• Former RNAS Culdrose helicopter pilot and now instructor/examiner Luke Morgan, 61, who worked in Cornwall for 12 years.
• Former Royal Engineer Officer and now global project director, David Radford-Wilson, 58, who is a frequent visitor to Cornwall over many years

More information is available on the Invictus Challenge website.

A JustGiving fundraising page has been set up by the Invictus Challenge crew through which visitors can donate.

For more information contact:

Jason Clark, Director, DCA Public Relations, 07980-834368,