At 33 years of age, John is the youngest member of the Pink Lady® Atlantic First crew, but he is by no means a novice and already has a number of notable achievements under his belt. As well as rowing for the Senior III and Senior IV, in 2002 he rowed by himself the full length of the Thames to raise money for charity.

In 1998 he was part of the 18 man team aboard Atlantic Endeavour, attempting to break the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing. With hindsight, this attempt was doomed from the outset. Atlantic Endeavour weighed over ten tonnes and despite the best efforts of the crew, it was never realistically a record breaking craft. Even so, John and the rest of the team covered 1000 miles of the journey in just 15 days, before aborting their attempt on account of equipment failure. Much can be learnt from past mistakes, however, and defeat can often serve as one of the best forms of motivation towards future success. As John explains:

"The Endeavour attempt was flawed from the start and attracted widespread press coverage for all of the wrong reasons. Ever since then I have yearned for an opportunity to wipe that slate clean. The Pink Lady® Atlantic First project offers me the chance to do just that. I will be joining a unique team, I will be using my knowledge and experience of the ocean and I will be putting to sea in the most hi-tech rowing boat ever to hit the water. I am very much looking forward to the challenge."

As you might expect of somebody who is about to spend five weeks of their life at sea, John is also a keen sailor. Over the years he has clocked up over 12,000 miles of both offshore and ocean sailing in vessels of various sizes. When forced to spend time on dry land, John is happy to spend his free days cycling and hill walking.

As with his team mates, John maintains a rigorous fitness programme. He trains for up to two hours a day with a routine of running, cycling and rowing. Nearly every weekend he joins the rest of the crew as they hit the water for some practical rowing sessions. In his own words:

"Being physically prepared is very important for this crossing. The fitter we are, the less our bodies will suffer and the more relaxed we will be mentally."

One of the biggest challenges weighing on John's mind is the crew's attempt to clear the Grand Banks area of the Atlantic. Leaving St John's in Canada and setting a course for the Isles of Scilly, the team will be aiming to pick up the 0.5 knot Gulf Stream. Before they reach this point, however, they must first drive their boat 350 miles over the treacherous Grand Banks, the fishing grounds off the coast of Newfoundland, whose vicious unpredictability was brought to life in the film The Perfect Storm. With waves reaching up to 50 feet in height during storms, John and the crew will be able to give a big sigh of relief once they have completed this section of their journey.

John will keeping a personal journal to reflect his daily thoughts whilst making the crossing, he will also be taking photographs of his wife and family to inspire him, although one of the most personal photographs is of the stone bench erected in memory of his late father, which the boat will pass when heading towards Falmouth.

Even at this early stage, John's thoughts occasionally turn to the home comforts that await him at the end of the Pink Lady® Atlantic First crossing. "One of the first things I'll do after completing this challenge is give my wife a big hug, have a drink and laugh at myself for no longer being able to walk properly. A Cornish pasty and some Jelbert's ice-cream will probably also be towards the top of my list."