In 2021, I'm planning to row around Great Britain: 1,600 miles (2,600km) over one year — from the comfort of home! Having spent a lot of time in lockdown last year racking up the miles on the indoor rowing machine, I've decided to put those hours to better use in 2021 by raising some money along the way.

The 'route' I've plotted roughly follows that of the GB Row Challenge (although a little more mathematically efficient — no tides or currents when rowing indoors). Completing it by the end of the year will require averaging around 7km per day. I'll be rowing a WaterRower S4 and will track my progress using Strava (a full activity log can be found here) and Challenge Hound (progress along a map of the route can be found here). I'm recording the full, detailed statistics in a Google Docs spreadsheet, which you can find here.

I've set a goal of £1,600 — £1 for every mile rowed — to be donated to Amnesty International's COVID-19 relief campaign at the end of the year.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is a human rights crisis in the most immediate sense. It has also been a reminder of our common humanity, and that we are all equal in dignity and human rights.

The way governments have decided to respond to the pandemic has impacted the human rights of hundreds of millions of people. In introducing emergency measures, it is vital that governments ensure human rights are at the forefront of all prevention, preparedness, containment and treatment efforts, in order to best protect public health, welfare, and support the groups and individuals most at risk. In many regions across the world, the COVID-19 crisis has been exploited as a pretext for oppression. Full respect for human rights is essential at all stages of the crisis and should not be seen as a luxury that can only be afforded once the threat for public health has been minimised. People affected by a public health emergency, including those displaced as a result of the events, remain entitled to the full and effective protection of human rights law.

Amnesty International is a movement of ordinary people from across the world standing up for humanity and human rights. It is closely monitoring government responses to the crisis, and in doing so continues to fight for a future in which all of us can live in dignity and thrive. When injustice happens to one person, it happens to us all.

More details on the campaign can be found at amnesty.org.uk/coronavirus.