Inspired by the Olympics? Want to contribute to the legacy of sport? The Wight Crew are seven ladies from the Isle of Wight who were certainly inspired.

In fact, we were so inspired by the sporting exploits of Team GB, and wanting to do our bit to ensure sport can enhance the lives of the next generation of sporting heroes, we somehow managed to volunteer to row the Channel for charity in June 2013.

The oldest of The Wight Crew is 50, and the youngest 26. One team member can't swim, a couple suffer from sea sickness. None of us have any rowing experience, or much upper body strength, all which will be needed for the 22 miles from Dover to Calais (or wherever we may land) next June – we are rowing in a fixed seat, wooden skiff.

The row will raise money for Ahoy (http://www.ahoy.org.uk/) -- a fantastic charity based in Deptford, London, whose primary aim is to get children and young adults who are from a disadvantaged background to try rowing in order to gain skills that can change the paths of their lives. What does this mean in practice? It means that those who previously have been excluded from school, and/or who have been in trouble with the police, have a place to go to where they can achieve watersports instructor qualifications, and make friends in a different kind of environment. The centre says it operates “without labels” and they have had a great deal of success with children and youths from troubled backgrounds, successfully integrating them back into society through their shared love of sport, giving them a sense of self-worth and thereby helping to avoid further tangles with the law. Have a look at the testimonials section of their website to see the kind of life changing effect this charity has

We plan to raise over £12,000 for Ahoy, with any additional funds raised going to the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust (http://www.ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org/), an Isle of Wight based charity that takes young people in recovery from cancer sailing to help them regain their confidence, something cancer can take away.

Please help us with our challenge!