Ex-Parachute Regiment officer begins 2,000-mile solo row around Great Britain

A former Parachute Regiment officer is aiming to become the fastest person to row 2,000 miles solo around Great Britain.

Mike Ellicock, from Lewes in East Sussex, was wounded in action during a hostage rescue in Sierra Leone in 2000, when he was 25.

He made a full recovery and subsequently went on to command a team of paratroopers on operations in Iraq.

Mike Ellicock is raising funds for the Parachute Regiment Charity (Phil Steere/PA)

The father-of-three, now 49, is attempting to make history by rowing solo around the UK in under 80 days, making him the fastest person to complete the challenge.

Mr Ellicock, who sets off on Wednesday morning from Newhaven, said he is taking on the challenge to mark his 50th birthday in May and to raise funds for the Parachute Regiment Charity.

“I turn 50 this year and to “celebrate” I thought it would be a good idea to attempt to break the record for rowing around Great Britain,” Mr Ellicock told the PA news agency.

“Half a lifetime ago, as a 25-year-old Parachute Regiment platoon commander, I was wounded in action during a hostage rescue in Sierra Leone but made a full recovery.

“I subsequently had the privilege of commanding paratroopers on operations again before making a successful and rewarding transition into civilian life.

“Not all my former brothers in arms were so fortunate, and that’s why I’m looking to use this challenge as a way to honour them while raising money for charities close to my heart.”

Mr Ellicock, who now runs a numeracy social enterprise, will be attempting the challenge in a Canadian-designed boat called Pegasus which is a combination of a sea kayak and an ocean rowing boat.

He will be sailing clockwise around the UK, stopping inland every so often to replenish supplies.

He said: “I’m least looking forward to hitting Thurso which is one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the UK, maybe in the world, but I’ve trained hard for this challenge and taken advice from experts to ensure I’m equipped to deal with the wild waters there unscathed.”

Mr Ellicock is no stranger to extreme challenges having broken a Guinness World Record in 2013 for running the London Marathon with a 40lb (18kg) pack in three hours 25 minutes and 21 seconds.

He has also taken on the Bob Graham Round, a 66-mile hill run in the Lake District and the Devizes to Westminster canoe race, which runs over a 125-mile course from Wiltshire to London.

Mike Ellicock is marking his 50th birthday by attempting the rowing challenge (Mike Ellicock/PA)

“This upcoming challenge is from another league though. It’s like the next level,” he said.

“There are certain bits of the coast where there are things called tidal gates, where you get these tidal overfalls, because the water is flowing so fast.

“I’m concerned about those as there are certain places where you have to be there at the right time.”

Mr Ellicock, who is also fundraising for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI), said he plans to stop off at a number of RNLI stations when he is inland, which he is “looking forward to”.

To learn more about Mike Ellicock’s challenge you can visit https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/6265/pegasus-round/