Fionn’s rowing challenge

Birr's Fionn O'Carroll is no stranger to tests of physical endurance. While most of us would do well to climb Carrauntoohil once, he scaled it three times in a single day last summer. In a separate challenge, he set himself the target of climbing the highest peaks of Ireland's four provinces inside 30 hours.

Now he's turning his attention from the mountains to the sea. He is currently training for the Noman Challenge, a 320km extreme rowing race across the Mediterranean, in an effort to raise much-needed funds and awareness for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) related cancer.

Fionn will be travelling to Barcelona next month to meet up with four UK-based teammates as they set off on the Mediterranean, bound for Ibiza, on July 19.

What's unique about this challenge is that he has never been in a rowing boat before, and he has never met the four teammates with whom he'll be living in a confined space for the estimated three days and three nights the race will take.

Demands will be placed on him both mentally and physically, with blistering heat, sleep deprivation, unpleasant living conditions, and sea sickness all likely.

Despite these expected difficulties, Fionn told the Offaly Independent he was very much looking forward to the experience.

"I can't wait. I'm just ramping up the training now, for the last couple of weeks, and then obviously the week or two beforehand I'll be tapering down and letting the body rest and prepare for it.

"At the moment I'm training six times a week in the gym in Birr Leisure Centre. A lot of it is on the rowing machine. I've been covering about 30km per session on the rowing machine, trying to clock up the miles.

"The plan is for each of us to row two hours on, followed by two hours off, for 24 hours a day until we reach Ibiza on the other side of the Mediterranean."

For the fundraising aspect of the challenge, he set up a Go Fund Me page which at the time of writing had attracted donations of just over €1,000.

"The HPV virus has taken far too many lives and has had a devastating effect on so many families both in Ireland and around the world. I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn't been personally affected by cancer and its impacts," he stated.

"HPV is the cause for 5% of all cancers (cervical, penile, anal, vaginal, vulval, head and neck cancers) and unfortunately the majority of people will be affected by it at some stage in their lives.

"The good news is the HPV vaccine is a cancer-preventing vaccine and presents the greatest opportunity we've had to prevent cancer in decades.

"For me, going on outdoor adventures, whether it be in the mountains or in this case the ocean, adds a layer of excitement to life. I enjoy a good challenge and it's doubly rewarding when it's in the name of a good cause."

His 'Go Fund Me' page set a goal of raising €1,500, and Fionn was encouraged by the progress that has already been made. "I've had donations from friends and family and so far the support has been huge, so fingers crossed we can get to the target," he said.

To support Fionn's fundraiser, visit here