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| Row2Recovery injured veterans start Atlantic rowing challenge | Row2Recovery injured veterans start Atlantic rowing challenge |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Four ex-servicemen are rowing across the Atlantic in a bid to become what is believed to be the first all-amputee team to make the trip. | Four ex-servicemen are rowing across the Atlantic in a bid to become what is believed to be the first all-amputee team to make the trip. |
| The veterans have set off from the Canary Islands. | |
| They aim to row the 3,000 miles in under 55 days as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. | They aim to row the 3,000 miles in under 55 days as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. |
| The Row2Recovery group are competing against 25 other teams in the race, which will end in Antigua in the Caribbean. | |
| 'Three legs between us' | 'Three legs between us' |
| The race was scheduled to start on 15 December, but stormy weather postponed the challenge. | The race was scheduled to start on 15 December, but stormy weather postponed the challenge. |
| One of the rowers, Lee Spencer, said: "We'll literally be on our own. | One of the rowers, Lee Spencer, said: "We'll literally be on our own. |
| "We have a life raft and personal location devices and if we end up in the water swimming is not a big deal. We only have three legs between us. | "We have a life raft and personal location devices and if we end up in the water swimming is not a big deal. We only have three legs between us. |
| "But the day-to-day chores are the things we'll struggle with." | "But the day-to-day chores are the things we'll struggle with." |
| Mr Spencer said they had been training their upper bodies to compensate for having lost lower limbs. | Mr Spencer said they had been training their upper bodies to compensate for having lost lower limbs. |
| "We want to be an example to all people; we're just normal guys who have suffered some misfortune, but life carries on," he said. | "We want to be an example to all people; we're just normal guys who have suffered some misfortune, but life carries on," he said. |
| Also competing are a group of four women aged 22 to 51 from Yorkshire, and 20-year-old University of Bristol aerospace engineering student Callum Gathercole, who is a solo competitor. | |
| Crews will spend at least a month at sea, living on freeze-dried food, while raising money for charity. | |
| Carsten Heron Olsen, race organiser, said: "This year we have 26 teams from the US, Italy, the UK, Antigua, Australia and South Africa, and there are 62 rowers in total. | |
| "Winds look extremely favourable for the rowers for the first few days at sea, and alongside the high level of professionalism of the participants, we're anticipating a quick and competitive race and hopefully break some records. | |
| "The race was planned to start on Tuesday, but due to strong winds going in the wrong direction we had to delay the race for a few days." |