IFCF are supporting 70-year-old Bear Grylls Island survivor Frank Rothwell to row the Atlantic solo for dementia research
Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation are delighted to be supporting Frank Rothwell when he takes part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge later this year. Frank is raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK and IFCF are pleased to announce that they will be match-funding the first £500,000 worth of donations. Frank aims to raise £1million for the charity – the largest amount ever raised by a single rower in the challenge – after witnessing the devastating impact of dementia.
Former ‘The Island with Bear Grylls’ survivor, Frank Rothwell, will be embarking on the biggest challenge of his life at 70 years old, when he attempts to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean solo. Frank will be casting off from the Canary Islands in December, with the hope of reaching Antigua, and reuniting with his wife of 50 years, Judith, the following Valentine’s Day.
During his gruelling expedition, Frank will spend his days switching between two hours of rowing and two hours of sleeping, while living off freeze-dried food. Frank, who has survived prostate cancer, has been training on a rowing machine during the Covid-19 lockdown, but hopes to hit the water again soon.
This isn’t Frank’s first adventure. He previously spent five weeks on a deserted island for the Channel 4 programme, ‘The Island with Bear Grylls’. Before that, Frank was only the 10th person to ever circumnavigate North and South America by boat.
The businessman is self-funding the whole trip, so all money raised will go to Alzheimer’s Research UK. There are almost one million people in the UK living with dementia, yet no treatments to slow, stop or prevent the diseases, like Alzheimer’s, that cause it. The charity’s mission is to bring about the first life-changing treatment for dementia by 2025. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the charity is predicting its income may fall by up to 45%, meaning Frank’s fundraising will offer a vital lifeline to dementia research
