Silchester dads break endurance record after rowing 27 hours for primary school fundraiser
A group of dads from Silchester have broken their own endurance record after rowing through the night to raise money for the primary school.
Twenty-one fathers from the school’s parent teacher association (PTA) took 15-minute turns on a rowing machine to cover a whopping 338km (210 miles) across 27 hours – breaking their previous record for the longest continual endurance row by one hour, which they set in 2019.
The team was led by Dave Holby-Wolinski, who in 2010 became the first person to row the virtual distance around the Earth’s equator (40,075 km) on a Concept2 land rowing machine, setting a new Guinness World Record of 934 days.
Mr Holby-Wolinski enthusiastically praised the spirit and community of Silchester, and said the event – which took place from Friday morning to Saturday morning – was “an absolute blast”.
He said: “We are a bunch of old men – it was definitely tough on the legs and the back but it was just a really lovely day.
“The support was fantastic.
“We’re so blessed because our kids go to the most amazing school but it’s also the community around it, particularly when you’ve got the pop-up and the green.
“The kids were coming over throughout the school day and after school asking questions and talking about the challenge, which got them excited about it as well.”
Mr Holby-Wolinski, 41, said they had raised around £1,445 so far.
He said the money would be going towards the adventure trail at the school, adding that it was “lovely” that a sporting fundraiser was going towards something for the children’s physical wellbeing.
He continued: “But it’s not all about the pennies coming in.
“It’s about the support, people clapping and cheering the guys on which makes a massive difference.
“There’s a lovely community of dads, but you’re constantly looking at bringing the next wave of amazing dads through.
“The row is a great opportunity to get fresh faces involved.”
Mr Holby-Wolinski said he thought his rowing legs were now “officially retired” after the event, but that he’d said it so many times his wife no longer believed him.
