Stranger to row Atlantic with crew in ocean dash
Sea Change AtlanticA stranger, found on social media after an appeal, will join three gig rowers on a grueling journey across the Atlantic.
The crew, from Cornwall and Dorset, will be attempting the 3,200 mile (5,149km) row unsupported as part of the Atlantic Dash event in January.
With their fourth and final crew member, who was from Devon, forced to withdraw due to sea sickness, the team turned to social media for a solution.
There, they found Taylor Lawrence, a wilderness guide from Utah, United States, who agreed to join the row - which is expected to take between 50 and 60 days - despite having only shared one phone call with the group.
Sea Change AtlanticMaddie Pyle, from Blisland, Cornwall, Adam Benjamin, from Boscastle, Cornwall, and Richard Blackmore, from Lyme Regis, Dorset, formed the Sea Change Atlantic Crew two years ago for the row that will take them from Lanzarote to Antigua.
With the start date planned for January, Benjamin said they were 99% ready to go, that was until they lost their fourth teammate.
Despite being an experienced gig rower, Simon Burke, from Devon, was advised to withdraw from the challenge after suffering persistent sea sickness during practice sessions.
Lawrence, who was in Essex on a rowing course at the time, saw the advert on social media and contacted the team to arrange a video call.
Pyle, the boat's skipper, said "fate and the stars aligned to bring us Taylor".
Taylor LawrenceHaving only spoken over the phone, Lawrence agreed to the row and will be spending more than 50 days sleeping, rowing and living in close quarters with the crew.
Benjamin said: "By the end we'll probably be lifelong friends, we'll certainly have shared an experience that not many people share."
With his previous rowing experience limited to rivers, Lawrence will spend a few weeks practicing off the Cornish coast ahead of the row.
Lawrence said: "It's going to be extremely tight quarters with the guys but I think that's part of the charm.
"I'm just excited. I'm a little nervous but I think you should be when you're doing something like this."
Having already fundraised to purchase the boat and safety equipment, they hope to continue raising money for their chosen charities - Parkinson's UK and Axminster and Lyme Cancer Support.
