“It’s not just about raising funds it’s about raising awareness so people can reach out and get support when they need it”

Team Regimes V prepare for World’s Toughest Row in support of MND Scotland

Will Mackie, 44, is preparing for the challenge of a lifetime – an unsupported 3000-mile row from La Gomera, Canary Islands, to the Island of Antigua, Caribbean, as part of the World’s Toughest Row in December 2026. 

Will was born and raised in Peterhead, and has two sons, Grayson, 15, and Warren, 12. He joined the Royal Navy on 10 September 2001, and served in Iraq in 2003. He completed his apprenticeship before leaving after almost five years and now works offshore in the oil industry.  

The World’s Toughest Row is 3,000 miles and completely unsupported.  “Team Remiges V” consist of five oarsmen with four working in oil and gas, and 1 one working in mechanical engineering onshore. 

Will and his team will set off in December 2026 and aim to finish within 40 days. The challenge will consist of rowing for 2.5-hours and resting for 1.5-hour rotations, all day and night, and in all weather conditions.  

Speaking about why he decided to take on the challenge, Will said, “About four years ago, I went through a life changing period and felt I needed to focus on something new. I’ve always been drawn to extreme sports, and as someone who’s ex-military, I missed being pushed mentally and physically. I started looking at different challenges and came across the World’s Toughest Row. 

“At first, I never thought I’d manage something like this as I’m getting older and not as fit as I was in my twenties, but the idea stuck with me.” 

Will is the Team Captain of “Team Remiges V”, which consists of five oarsmen who all work together in the offshore industry and are now working together as part of the challenge. 

Will said, “I knew I couldn’t do it alone. We eventually pulled a team together including myself, Stuart Ward, Stuart Brown, Brian Smith, and Karl Bainbridge. The two Stuarts and Brian all worked together offshore on the Shearwater platform, and Karl came to us through a colleague. Karl is very much into ultra marathons, so he was a great fit.” 

In addition to taking on the challenge as a personal achievement, the team want to help raise important awareness and vital funds for three charities: The Royal Navy & Royal Marine Charity, MindBodySole Mental Health Charity, and MND Scotland. 

Since being founded forty five years ago, MND Scotland has provided practical, financial and emotional support to anyone affected by MND whilst also funding essential research into finding effective treatments and a cure. 

Will said, “We chose MND Scotland because one of our teammates, Brian, has a close friend who’s been diagnosed with MND. Seeing what people like Doddie Weir, Rob Burrow, and Lewis Moody have gone through really brought home how devastating the disease is.” 

He added, “For us, it’s not just about raising funds it’s about raising awareness so people can reach out and get support when they need it. A lot of people still don’t know what MND actually is. Getting the message out is just as important.” 

Speaking about the boat, Will said, “It’s about nine metres long and about 1.7 metres wide. There’s space for three people to row at once, with small cabins at the front and back for rest. The boat is manufactured by Rannoch Adventure, who are known for building some of the safest and best performing ocean rowing boats. 

“We make our own water on board, and our food is basically specialised ration packs of high protein meals we heat with our own boiled water. We’ll burn 6,000–8,000 calories a day, and the average person loses about 10 kilos crossing the Atlantic.” 

The team has been training hard in preparation for the challenge, and has reached out to professional ocean rowing coach, Gus Barton.  

Will said, “Gus has completed the race himself. Our training now includes long rowing sessions, interval work, strength training and progressively longer stints. By the time we race, Gus expects us to be able to row three to three and a half hours at a time, rest an hour and a half, then repeat. It’s basically a marathon, rest, marathon.”

“Only around 1,800–2,000 people have ever rowed across the Atlantic. More people climb Everest every year. So, this is an incredibly rare challenge, and we want to approach it with the right mindset. 

“You can train your body, but ultimately it’s your mind that keeps you going, especially rowing in the dark, dealing with seasickness, or hearing nothing but the ocean around you.” 

Will said, “We want to be competitive. I’ve always been the kind of person who plays in teams that want to win. I don’t want to reach the finish line thinking we could have shaved off half a day if we’d pushed harder.” 

In addition to the physical and mental demands, the challenge itself can be financially demanding. The team has organised sponsorship packages for corporate partners who would like to support them, “We’ve got sponsorship packages available and we really want companies to feel like they’re part of this journey, not just donating money.” 

“We’ll feature logos on the boat, give sponsors kit, invites to events, and make sure they’re included throughout. The World’s Toughest Row gets over a million viewers every year, so there’s massive exposure. 

“Without the support we’ve already had, financial and otherwise, none of this would be happening. Our aim is to raise funds, raise awareness, and hopefully inspire people. If we can show that ordinary people can do something extraordinary, maybe others will believe they can too.” 

MND Scotland would like to thank Will and the team for their support and wish them the very best of luck in their training for the upcoming challenge.  

If you would like to support the team by donating, please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/team-remiges-v-take-on-the-worlds-toughest-row-2026 

If you would like to help make time count for families affected by MND and take on a challenge to help raise funds in support of MND Scotland, please visit: www.mndscotland.org.uk or email: fundraising@mndscotland.org.uk for more information.