Maltese man plans to row the Atlantic to honour his brother’s life
A Maltese man with no rowing experience plans to cross the Atlantic Ocean to honour his brother who died of a brain tumour.
Steve Chetcuti, 50, and a crew of five others, have begun training for the treacherous and exhausting task, which is scheduled to start on March 1, 2021.
He will be raising money for three charities, two of which are dedicated to help- ing cancer sufferers and their families. Steve’s brother, Mike, died nearly two years ago at the age of 51.
“I lost both my father and brother to cancer, not to mention cousins and friends. It’s heartbreaking,” he says.
“I want to undertake the challenge to honour my brother’s life. He fought hard right until the end and it was really amazing – and at the same time devastating – to experience the courage he showed, the determination, the desire to live and the fight against his illness, and his final acceptance of death.”
The rowboat will be skippered by experienced rower and adventurer Ralph Tuijn, who has led previous Atlantic- crossing expeditions. The international crew will depart from Faro in Portugal and hope to arrive in Cayenne in French Guiana around six weeks later.
“This is our plan but depends on the weather.