Lee Spencer (Royal Marines, Rowing and the Casualties of War) - Episode 225

Lee Spencer is a 24 year veteran of the Royal Marines and has undergone some incredible feats to raise money and awareness for various charities. We discuss his early life, recruitment, Ireland, combat, his near death experience, rowing across the Atlantic and much more.

Lee Spencer, a single leg amputee, is the first physically disabled person to have rowed solo across the Atlantic. He smashed the previous able-bodied record, set by Stein Hoff in 2002, by over a month and gained two new World Records.

Leaving Portugal on 9 January 2019, Lee crossed the line on 11 March 2019 in French Guiana, South America, at 60 days, 16 hours and 6 minutes. He had rowed unsupported for a total of 3,500 miles.

He faced waves of up to 40 foot, four 15-metre sperm whales swimming beneath him, being pursued by a large shark, a bout of gastroenteritis and various technical issues. He slept for just two hours at a time, all while battling the daily routine at sea and the challenges of being a single leg amputee.

The goal behind Lee's mission was to enforce his message to the world; that no one need be defined by their disability, mental or physical.