Galway Man Triumphs in World’s Toughest Row

A Galway man is on cloud nine after winning the solo class in the World’s Toughest Row – a 4,800km trek across the Atlantic. Discover all about his incredible achievement below..

Advertisement

Galway’s Daragh MacLoughlin, 42, clutched a collar belonging to his beloved late dog Jasper (after whom his boat is named) on his final push into Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua early on the morning of Friday January 23rd.

He left La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 14th, battling treacherous seas in his bid to raise €10,000 for epidermolysis bullosa (EB) charity Debra and Irish Dogs for the Disabled.

To chants of Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé, the emotional businessman was met on dry land at 8.22am (Irish time) by his wife Suzanne and their daughters Maeve and Saoirse – and celebrated with a cold can of Coca-Cola. “It was everything I could have wanted and more,” he said moments after stepping off The Jasper, his home for 39 days, 20 hours and 16 minutes.

“I went in thinking ‘this is going to be a race, a race only’. That’s what I trained for but after four days, the ocean told me it’s about a lot more than that." Daragh shared. “It opened a lot of doors I didn’t think I’d ever open. If you’re willing, the ocean will bring you places and it will show you things that you didn’t think were possible about yourself."

“I’m really, really happy.”

Daragh, from Clarinbridge, spoke of his frustration when slack winds slowed his progress on the mammoth crossing but says that he predicted he would win the race, given the punishing training regime he adopted. “I’m a big believer in visualising things, I knew I was going to win this race. When I arrived in, my family were waiting for me, it’s fantastic, my two girls needed that father figure back so it is so nice to be there for them again.”

The solo oarsman managed to beat several three and four person teams taking part in the race and came 14th in the overall rankings, out of 43 teams.

Thanks to his supporters, Daragh was able to smash his charity target (now standing at €17,000) and donations remain open at: www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/thejasper

“Daragh has delivered an exceptional performance to win the solo class of the World’s Toughest Row,” said Event Manager Nikki Holter. “His detailed preparation, focus, resilience, consistency and unwavering resolve in the face of immense challenge represents the very spirit of this race and has given him a very well-deserved achievement and win.”