‘Emergensea Duo’ Inspire with Tales from Global Endurance Rowing Challenges

In March, Churcher’s welcomed Extreme Medicine doctors, Adam and Charlie, to hear about their world first achievement of completing two of the most demanding global rowing challenges in just seven months, despite having never rowed before.

During 2021-2022 the married doctors, known as ‘Emergensea Duo’, temporarily hung up their scrubs to race for 3126 miles across the Atlantic and 1774 miles around the coast of Great Britain. This achievement made them the first married couple to complete the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge and the world’s first mixed pair to circumnavigate Great Britain unaided. 

Adam and Charlie started by explaining their career paths into emergency medicine and demystified ‘extreme’ medicine, which requires managing patients in challenging environments, such as the jungle or Arctic regions.

To give all our Senior and Sixth Form students the opportunity to hear these remarkable achievements first-hand, the doctors gave both an assembly and delivered an in-depth lecture.

To support Emergensea Duo’s journey, Churcher’s was honoured to sponsor an oar.

'Emergensea Duo' give a talk at Churcher's College, March 2023

The physiological and psychological challenges

The global endurance rowing challenges presented the pair with physiological and psychological symptoms including sleep deprived hallucinations, burning in excess of 5000 calories per day, battling gale force winds, heat waves, severe blisters and being stalked by a shark! 

In addition, they experienced nights so dark it was likened to a sensory deprivation tank, plus the knowledge that, at times, they were closer to the International Space Station than they were to land on Earth.

Finding awe

However, the couple also enjoyed the magical moments which they call ‘finding awe’. Such as plankton and algae lighting up the sea as light faded, beautiful sunrises and peaceful, still waters. They reminded us of the importance of a positive mindset and when things are not going our way, ‘finding awe’ can help to reset. The core message from Adam and Charlie is to remember we only have one life, live it to the fullest.

Next

Adam and Charlie collected vast amounts of data on their trips to contribute as research towards a master’s degree, exploring the effects of endurance events on male and female bodies.

More about Emergensea Duo

Find out more about Adam and Charlie, including further detail about their endurance events and how you can donate to the charities they support, on their website: emergenseaduo.com.