Ocean rowers Mike Bates and Gareth Timmins have visited the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds ahead of a gruelling Irish Sea endurance challenge to raise money for research and treatment.
The pair are part of the ROW4MND team, a four-man crew preparing to take on the second leg of a four-year campaign aiming to raise £57 million for Leeds Hospitals Charity, My Name’s Doddie Foundation and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
The latest challenge is due to begin on Saturday, March 7, with the team setting off from Dale in Pembrokeshire and aiming to reach the Western Isles of Scotland. Expected to take around 10 days, the row will see the crew battling cold, dark and demanding conditions as they row across the Irish Sea around the clock.
The campaign builds on the success of last year’s challenge, which raised more than £140,000 over the summer. Organisers are also hoping to complete another leg later this year as they continue to build momentum behind the fundraising effort.
Mike Bates, co-founder of ROW4MND, who is based in Leeds, donated £60,000 to the build of the centre following his solo Atlantic row and was at the official opening by HRH The Prince of Wales late last year. He said:
“Being able to see first-hand the kind of work that this challenge will support was quite emotional and humbling. Being able to meet the team and hear exactly what they’re doing in the name of fighting MND was just incredible. It’s an inspiring place and a wonderful legacy for Rob Burrow.
“This visit will absolutely spur me on in every dark moment over the coming weeks of the challenge. While my home in Yorkshire may be a fair distance from the sea, anybody wanting to see how we’re doing can track our journey live online over the coming weeks. If you can, please do get behind us online.”
Gareth Timmins, who is also based in Yorkshire, is joining the ROW4MND team for the first time. He’s a former Royal Marines Commando, bestselling author, behavioural and cognitive performance strategist, speaker, and researcher. Timmins is best known for his work exploring mindset, resilience, decision-making under pressure, and human performance.
Gareth Timmins, ROW4MND team member said:
“We’re prepared physically and mentally to go out there and face this challenge but there’s no denying that the weather conditions could be really against us. It’s going to be tough! Knowing we’re doing this for the charities we’re supporting is our motivation through those long, dark hours of rowing. It was amazing to come and meet the team here at the Rob Burrow Centre for MND, and I can’t wait to be part of the team helping to support such important work.”
Director of Engagement at Leeds Hospital Charity, Sarah Griffin said:
“All of us at Leeds Hospitals Charity are sending lots of luck to the ROW4MND team as they set off on their second epic rowing challenge. The money they raise will continue to support the vital work of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease to help patients and families right here in Yorkshire. We’re incredibly grateful to the whole crew and hope the weather is kind to them over the next few weeks!”
This year’s crew is made up of Mike Bates, Matt Parker, Aaron Kneebone and Gareth Timmins. Timmins, who is based in Yorkshire, is joining the team for the first time. A former Royal Marines Commando, he is now a bestselling author, behavioural and cognitive performance strategist, speaker and researcher known for his work on mindset, resilience, decision-making under pressure and human performance.
He joins campaign co-founders Bates, a solo Atlantic rower and former Royal Marines Commando, and Matt Parker, chief executive of Xypher and a purpose-led entrepreneur with a strong track record in endurance challenges. Aaron Kneebone, an accredited ocean rowing coach and Royal Marine veteran, is also returning to the team.
Last year, the rowers were thrust into the spotlight after being wrongly identified as illegal migrants by MP Rupert Lowe while passing Norfolk during their 1,000-mile first challenge around UK waters. Rather than allowing the incident to derail the campaign, the team used the unexpected attention to help take their message to a much wider audience.
ROW4MND is a four-year endurance rowing campaign aimed at raising major funds and awareness for motor neurone disease. The mission will see the team take on some of the most ambitious rowing challenges ever attempted, from the rocky coastline of Britain to the vast Pacific Ocean and the brutal North Atlantic. Each year, a new leg will push the crew further, with the scale, risk and difficulty increasing as they continue their effort to drive research forward and bring hope to those affected by the disease.
To follow the crew’s journey and donate, please visit www.row4mnd.com or find @ROW4MND on Instagram.
Mike Bates, Gareth Timmins and the crew are taking on an immense test of endurance, resilience and determination in support of a cause that means so much to so many. Their visit to the Rob Burrow Centre for MND is a powerful reminder of why this challenge matters and of the lives their efforts will help touch.
Wishing the ROW4MND team the very best of luck as they set out on this extraordinary Irish Sea challenge.
