When Northamptonshire businessman Matt Sirrell leaves the harbour at La Gomera on December 12 at the start of his 3,000-mile transatlantic row, people living with motor neurone disease (MND) won’t be far from his mind.
As a true sports fan, who has idolised athletes from the world of football and rugby for much of his life, the stories of legends including rugby league ace Rob Burrow CBE and Scottish rugby union star Doddie Weir OBE – both of whom died from MND – have hit particularly hard.
It’s Rob and Doddie, and the 5,000 people who are living with MND at any one time in the UK, who have inspired this ultimate test of endurance – despite Matt and his three close friends, David Watts, Peter Haymes and Tom Foster, known as Team Fourtitude, having never picked up an oar before.
“MND is just so horrific we have to stand together and do something about it,” said Matt, who owns MSL Logistics in Preston Deanery.
“All four of us have enjoyed sport in the past and I cannot imagine the horror of being diagnosed with a disease like MND and having that taken away from me.
“Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND in the prime of his life and I just can’t stand by and let it happen. It pricks at my conscience and makes the fire inside burn even stronger.”
Every day, six people are diagnosed with MND, a neurological disease which attacks the nerves that take messages to the muscles. It strips people of their independence and takes away their voice and movement.
There is no cure, which is why every pound raised by the team really matters.
Matt and the team aim to raise £250,000 for the Northampton-based MND Association which supports people with MND and their families, campaigns for better care, and leads the way in funding research into potential new treatments.
While he is the first to admit the challenge was partly born out of a ‘midlife crisis’, Matt and his teammates are now well into training for their challenge of a lifetime.
He said: “I could have bought a Porsche, but I decided to do this instead and once I put my mind to something, that’s it!
“I’m very grateful for the fact we have a training programme in place – for the physical side of the challenge but the mental side too. I would say the physical side accounts for around 20% while the mental side is more like 80%.”
As the crew makes its way across the Atlantic, as part of the World’s Toughest Row, they can expect difficult conditions including waves almost four storeys high and temperatures ranging from 10 degrees during the night to well in excess of 30 degrees. Each member of the team will burn well over 5,000 calories a day and the challenge is expected to take around 40 days. Although the principal aim, of course, is making it to Antigua safely.
“While I would shy away from saying we are putting ourselves into harm’s way, we have had to have some important conversations, in particular with our other halves,” he said.
“The support we have between us, from them and everyone around us has been absolutely critical.
“We’ve just marked our eighth anniversary at MSL Logistics and there is a team of 12 who will be looking after the business while I’m away. We currently have around 90 drivers delivering the product, which takes a lot of coordination.
“Meanwhile, safety on board the boat is paramount, we can’t let our guard down even for a second. If we leave the doors open on the boat we could be in trouble if a wave hits, otherwise we’re just like a cork on the ocean and actually much safer than you might think.”
June will mark the halfway point in the team’s preparation for the row and coincides with Global MND Awareness Day on June 21, which will shine a light on the special days which matter most to people living with and affected by MND.
So what special day will matter most to Matt and the crew?
“I try to imagine how it will feel to spot Antigua in the distance after 40 days and nights at sea,” he said.
“It will be incredible, but I can’t quite imagine what will go through my mind in that moment. Th ere is no doubt it will be a very special day indeed, and people living with MND will be right at the heart of it.”
To donate, or visit this website or follow on Instagram @fourtituderowers. For more information about the MND Association and how to get involved in Global MND Awareness Day, visit their website.
