Hugo Mitchell-Heggs, Submariner and Atlantic Rower
“Flying fish are a nightmare… they fire off the water like missiles.” Why would this bother a submariner, you might ask? For Hugo, life beneath the waves was swapped for life on the waves when he roped his three shipmates… can you call submariners shipmates? Anyway, when they all embarked upon the adventure of competing in a rowing race across the Atlantic Ocean…“If they get caught by a gust of wind, we’re talking thirty to forty knots of wind out there; they hammer across the sky, whistling past you and it’s not uncommon for sailors and navigators to get concussed at sea by these things…” Yes, we’re still talking about flying fish here, “We had a few splatter into the boat and hit us in the middle of the night.” As if this wasn’t enough, they had to contend with missing home, sleep deprivation, salt sores, sea sicknesses, forty-foot waves and then capsizing.So, why is Hugo doing it all again?HMS Oardacious In January 2020, four Serving Royal Navy Submariners became the fastest military team in history to row unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean; departing from the Canary Islands to reach Nelson's Dockyard Antigua 37 days 6 hours and 40 minutes later.The HMS Oardacious campaign has fundraised £110,000 to provide Mental Health and Wellbeing support to the Submarine community, collaborating with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity .The Submariner Memorial Appeal “Of all the branches of men in the forces there is none which shows more devotion and faces grimmer perils than the submariner." Winston Churchill To donate or get involved with the creation of a fitting monument which commemorates the sacrifice of all those who have died whilst in the submarine service and their families head to the Submariner Memorial websiteFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.Find out more about the Company of Makers or sign up to our newsletter.This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help. Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.To find out more contact us.