James Ketchell is a British adventurer. On 1 February 2014, Ketchell became the first person to complete the triathlon of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, summiting Mount Everest and cycling around the world. [1] [2] On 22 September 2019, Ketchell landed his gyrocopter in Basingstoke, England, becoming the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an autogyro, flying for 175 successive days. [3] [4] [5]
On 22 September 2019, Ketchell landed his gyrocopter in Basingstoke, England, becoming the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an autogyro, flying for 175 successive days [5] [6] [7] as certified by Guinness World Records [3] and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale for the fastest eastbound circumnavigation. [4] [8] He flew over Europe, Asia, and North America, making a total of 122 distinct flights in his autogyro. [5] It was also recognised as the fastest eastbound journey in this class. [3] The first physical circumnavigation of the globe by Autogyro, had been completed 3 months earlier by Norman Surplus, but dogged by diplomatic delays it had taken 4 years and 28 days to complete, so was not deemed eligible for setting a first speed record around the world. Both Ketchell and Surplus flew their respective Autogyros, G-KTCH and G-YROX, together during their pioneering Trans - Russia, Bering Straits and Alaskan crossings.
On 1 February 2014, Ketchell became the first person to complete the triathlon of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, summiting Mount Everest and cycling around the world. [1]
In 2010, Ketchell rowed single-handed across the Atlantic Ocean in 110 days, four hours and four minutes from La Gomera to Antigua. [2]
On 16 May 2011 Ketchell reached the summit of Mount Everest. Upon his descent he succumbed to pneumonia and spent a week in hospital after arriving back into the UK. [9]
On 30 June 2013 Ketchell departed Greenwich Park and embarked on an 18,000 mile unsupported global cycle, through 20 countries and cycling on average 100 miles a day. [10]
Ketchell attempted to row 3,600 miles across the Indian Ocean from Geraldton to Mauritius in 2015 with fellow Scouting Ambassador, Ashley Wilson. [11] Their aim was to raise awareness of epilepsy among young people as well as supporting other charities (including Young Epilepsy and The Scouts.)
The expedition ended 200 miles off the coast of Western Australia when Ketchell’s rowing partner sustained a serious head injury during a storm and needed to be rescued. [12] A 100,000 ton crude oil tanker called the Dubai Charm came to their rescue. [13]
An autogyro, or gyroplane, is a class of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. While similar to a helicopter rotor in appearance, the autogyro's unpowered rotor disc must have air flowing upward across it to make it rotate.
Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical body. This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth.
Sir David Kim Hempleman-Adams, is an English industrialist and adventurer.
Ocean rowing is the sport of rowing across oceans. Some ocean rowing boats can hold as many as fourteen rowers; however, the most common ocean rowboats are designed for singles, doubles, and fours.
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JulieAngus is a Canadian rower, adventurer, writer, cyclist, and entrepreneur, married to the explorer Colin Angus.
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Sarah Dilys Outen is a British athlete and adventurer. She is also a motivational speaker in the UK and internationally. Outen was the first woman and the youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean and also the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Alaska. She completed a round-the-world journey, mostly under her own power, by rowing boat, bicycle and kayak, on 3 November 2015.
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Colin Timothy O'Brady is an American professional endurance athlete, motivational speaker and adventurer. He is a former professional triathlete, representing the United States on the ITU Triathlon World Cup circuit, racing in 25 countries on six continents from 2009 to 2015.
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Norman Surplus was a pilot from Northern Ireland who circumnavigated the globe in an autogyro, nicknamed "Roxy". His trip began in 2010 and ended on 28 June 2019. In 2010, during the first leg of his trip, Surplus flew over Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. In June 2015, Surplus commenced the second leg of his journey by flying through the United States and crossing the Atlantic Ocean to eventually land in Larne, Northern Ireland in August 2015, becoming the first person to cross the Atlantic in an autogyro. In 2019, he completed the last leg of his journey when he finally obtained permission from the Russian Federation to fly through its airspace. He left Larne on Easter Monday in 2019, and flew through Russia to eventually reach the United States and land at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in Oregon completing his circumnavigation of the globe in an autogyro. Surplus's AutoGyro MT-03 is currently displayed at the EAA Aviation Museum initially to remain there for the duration of AirVenture 2020. Surplus took nine years to complete his journey around the world, and flew over 32 countries, over a total distance of 27,000 miles (43,000 km). In a 2015 interview with the CBC, while on a stopover at Iqaluit, Canada, Surplus mentioned that the trip should have taken approximately four months but the problems with obtaining permission to fly over Russia, which persisted for three years, derailed his plans.
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