The Rowing Marine

On 9 January 2019, Lee Spencer, a disabled former Royal Marine, set out in a tiny rowing boat called Hope from the Southern Portuguese town of Portimao. He was hoping to become the fourth person in history to row solo and unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean, as well the first disabled person to complete the row and the fastest.

LEE SPENCER describes himself as born in Dagenham, made in The Royal Marines. A serving Royal Marine for 24 years, as well as deployments in Iraq and Northern Ireland, he came through three operational tours in Afghanistan unscathed only to lose his right leg after being hit by an engine block as he was helping a motorist who had crashed on a motorway in Surrey in 2014. Refusing to give in to the situation he found himself in, Lee recovered and embarked on what is, and continues to be, a remarkable journey. In the New Year Honours List in 2019, Lee was awarded the British Empire Medal for his services to charitable fundraising. He currently holds four Guinness World Records for crossing the Atlantic.