On 4^th January at 4am I started rowing away from Gomera in the knowing I would not see land again for well over a month

I was part of a 12 man crew who had been selected to try and beat the world record, of 33 days, rowing unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean and then to add a little spice to the adventure I decided to summit Mt Everest from the North side and become the first human to tackle the two extreme conditions on earth simultaneously.

The 12 man team was split into two teams of 6 and we rowed 6 times a day for two hours and had 2 hours between each shift. During two of the off shifts we would make water (with the use of a desalinater) and complete various boat maintenance tasks.

The first four days of the crossing were the hardest, getting used to the change in sleep patterns was incredibly difficult. My body had to readjust to survive on sleeping four times a day for about 50 minutes and I can tell you that my body was not happy about the change at all. The longest rest I had during the whole trip was 1 hour 14 minutes. I remember looking at my watch and working out the length of my ‘off time’ and being so overjoyed about the length of my potential sleep I became over excited and could not get to sleep, it was incredibly frustrating!

The other difficulties were dealing with the constant muscle ache, we never had time to recover from our previous shifts; towards the end of the row my back would be agony for the first part of a shift until it would loosen up and the ache would ease.

We all suffered badly from sweat rash and towards the end of the row I had pretty painful bed sores on my behind.

As the row progressed and we went further south the heat increased to sauna like temperatures. My bunk was in the stern cabin which had no ventilation and the cabin acted like a heat trap, during the day I would sweat more lying in the cabin than whilst rowing. Often when you would lie down on your back within a few minutes sweat would build up in your eyes and make them sting.

Despite the exhaustion and discomforts it was truly a once in a life time experience. Imagine being on a tiny little rowing boat surrounded by mile long swells, you get the feeling of complete insignificance and you truly see the magic of the ocean; the huge waves that would dwarf a 5 story house and then hours later the ocean would be mirror calm and appear like an ice rink. At night the stars were so bright they would light up all the rowing team and I could make out the tiniest details on the stern pair whilst seated in the bows. I saw more stars on a clear night then I ever imagined existed, their numbers seemed infinite.

The crossing took 38 days; we finished in and were welcomed in by a huge party of supporters. When I first jumped off the boat I could not walk unassisted, but my sister helped me over to a seat where I was handed a cold, ice filled glass of water and a hamburger. My eyes did start to water with happiness at that sight and never before have I enjoyed a burger and simple drink so much.

After completing the row I could not walk, I could not bend my fingers after having gripped an oar for 12 hours a day for 38 days, I had lost 25% of my body weight, I had blisters all over my hands and on my behind and my leg muscles went into a permanent cramp; yet in a matter of weeks I would be at Everest’s base camp preparing to climb to the top of the world….

Everest was very different to the row, the days were less physically demanding and I was able to sleep for hours every night (a fact I still relished)! During the trip I did battled with altitude sickness which gave me terrible headaches and a constant feeling of weakness. However, waking up every day to look out of your tent and see Everest in front of you made every pain and discomfort worthwhile. Everest towers above all and looks almost magical, it is known as Chomolungma to Tibetans, which is translated as ‘Goddess Mother of the Earth’.

However, looking at it everyday did also give me the hebe jebes knowing I would have to wobble my way up it. Most of the trip I did not know whether to be excited or terrified as to what would come; I think I mostly felt a lot of both.

We spent 2 months building up our camps and waiting for a weather window. During which time we had been sleeping at over 7000 metres with no oxygen in order to acclimatize. We also suffered various storms, one particularly bad one saw us on top of the North Cole (7000 metres) in winds gusting over 70 mph, these winds blew many of our tents away and one of our team made a narrow escape climbing out of one of the tents moments before it blew off the side of the mountain.

We started our summit push from base camp at 5200 metres, the first few days were spent pushing up to the North Cole at 7000 metres, these days would normally consist of 6- 10 hours walking/ climbing and the rest of the time we would frantically make water to keep ourselves hydrated and then rest and try to prepare for the following days climbing.

When I left the North Cole on the 23^rd May I knew that I would have the hardest days of my life ahead, I climbed up into the death zone at 7500 metres. At this altitude the human body starts deteriorating as there is so little pressure and as a result very little oxygen; the human body can not function normally and it will start shutting down to concentrate on your vital organs. It made every few metres of height gain incredibly exhausting and completing the simplest function took 10 times longer than it would at sea level. On the morning I left for high camp I think it took approximately 35 minutes to put my crampons on, a task that can be completed in a few minutes when not in the death zone. I slowly pushed my way up higher and higher until I reached 8300 metres and arrived at high camp, this is the highest camp in the world and is a pretty challenging place to rest.

I had barely slept the past few days and when at high camp sleep was impossible but I was able to rest for a few hours and melt enough snow to hydrate myself and fill my water bottles ready for summit push.

At 2.30am on the morning of 25^th May I left my tent to push for the summit of Everest. It was an incredible feeling, almost surreal. I felt strong, well, strong considering I had been living in the death zone for three days and was determined to achieve my goal but also to look after myself and not become another statistic!

The whole climb up to the summit was the most magical 7 hours of my life; I was looking down on every part of the world and could clearly see the curvature of the Earth. During the ascent I did pass numerous human bodies which I did find upsetting and this was a constant reminder to concentrate on the climbing and not make any stupid mistakes.

There are three main ‘steps’ on the summit ridge where the technical climbing is at its hardest, the most difficult of which is the third step, this was exhausting to climb, what I could normally scamper up in minutes at sea level became an agonizing experience on top of Everest with every muscle in my body screaming for more oxygen. It was an incredible effort to lift my body up, but inch by inch I clambered, kicked, pulled and heaved my way up. Just before the summit there is a traverse section, I had to walk along a stretch about 12 inches wide with a 4 kilometre drop down one side. Looking down gave me terrible vertigo and it probably goes down as one of the most terrifying moments of my life.

After 3 years of planning and over 3,000 miles of rowing, 2 months climbing, 6 camps and 3 false summits (which almost drove me to despair) I was finally standing on top of the world!

I looked down upon everything on earth, elation does not even come close to describe the supreme emotion I felt. Unfortunately it was a little chilly on top of the world, about -45 degrees and we had 50mph gusting winds so I did not spend long on the summit and started the climb down towards oxygen filled air, water and safety.

It took me about 12 hours to climb down to the North Cole where I was able to find a tent and crawl into it. I slept for a few hours there and then carried on down to advanced base camp (ABC). It only took about 4 hours to reach ABC but by the time I reached it I was as broken and exhausted as I have ever been. I collapsed in a heap outside the communal tent where I was found by the expedition doctor and some Sherpa’s, they helped me take my pack off and guided me into the tent. I was badly snow blind and had some frostbite on my face and frostnip on my finger tips which the doctor treated immediately. It was after the doctor had treated my face and a hot meal and tea was put in-front of me that I truly felt I had completed my challenge.

I am on the way to gaining 4 different world records and am the first man to successfully tackle the two extreme conditions on the earth together, but to me the experiences I have gained and my own sense of achievement are the most important and will live with me for the rest of my days.

As well as looking to break records I am raising money for the ‘Oxford Cancer Centre’ part of the in . It is a unit that is close to my heart as members of my family have been treated by the hospital. The money is being used to fund additional pieces of high-tech equipment that go above and beyond current NHS standards, such as Computer Integrated Theatres (CITs), which enable surgeons to perform more keyhole surgery. This is less invasive for patients and often results in quicker recovery times and less chance of infection. The campaign is also raising money to improve the healing environment for patients, by landscaping outdoor terraces, furnishing day rooms and providing things like pressure-relieving mattresses.