The OPR team are proud sponsors of the Black Forest Rowers who are embarking on the ‘World’s Toughest Row’ across the Atlantic later this year.
Adventurers Sabrina Simpson and Gregor Wacker will row 3,000 miles from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
They leave in December and hope to make the challenging journey in 50-60 days while raising funds for three charities.
OPR Managing Director Fiona Thornton met Canadian-born Sabrina, who lives in Stirling, at a Pilates class.
She says: “Sabrina is a community Pilates teacher and one day at class she told me about her plans. I was intrigued by the prospect of her rowing 3,000 miles and living and sleeping on a boat at sea for nearly two months!
“It’s an amazing challenge she has set herself and one which we were keen to support after hearing she was looking for local sponsors.”
Fiona and her husband Mark, OPR’s co-founder, are now `Beluga Whale’ sponsors for the journey and the OPR logo has pride of place on the outside of Sabrina’s cabin.
Sabrina says: “Gregor and I were delighted to find the perfect sponsor to weather the storm with us in OPR!
“They are one of our largest sponsors and have a prime spot in my cabin with their logo and it’s just amazing for them to do this.
“I spent a morning with Fiona and Mark telling them all about the challenge and they are just the loveliest people who do so much for their community in Plean. They have a heart of gold and I’m so grateful to them.
“All our sponsors have made a real difference and we couldn’t do the trip without them – it’s the generosity of small businesses like OPR which has helped get us to the start line.”
Sabrina was inspired to take on the challenge during lockdown when she was helping her brother Bruce prepare for an Iron Man competition.
Having done her own adventure challenges in the past, she decided it was time for her to take on a new one and on the spur of the moment told her brother she was going to row the Atlantic!
Sabrina had initially planned to take up the challenge as part of an all-female team but when those plans changed, she teamed up with Gregor who lives in Germany.
The pair will now join around 30 teams of rowers at the start line on December 12 to head across the Atlantic.
Sabrina says: “On average the pairs take 50-60 days but it’s all weather dependent so we will just see how it goes.
“I’m super excited about it and have no doubts in my mind about doing it.”
Sabrina will spend much of the time rowing for two hours then switching with Gregor and sleeping or resting in the cabin for two hours – although there will be some sections where both of them will be rowing together.
Black Forest Rowers are also raising funds for three organisations which support children – Scottish charity The Polar Academy, Canada’s The Emily Brydon Youth Foundation and German charity Primavera Hilfe für Kinder in Not (Helping Children in Need).
For more information about the team’s Atlantic Row go to www.blackforestrower.com