Atlantic Calling David Whiddon to Antigua

When David Whiddon candidly describes the feeling of “being at the mercy of Mother Nature,” he is not indulging in some sort of benign spiritual cliché. Nor is he shamelessly dramatising the memories of expeditions he has undertaken over the years. Every one of this former Royal Marine’s unassuming sentiments is steeled with a straightforward sincerity, grounded firmly on the vast experience of some incredible endurance adventures.

In November 2008, Whiddon embarked on cycle ride from the southernmost tip of Argentina. By September 2009, he had traversed the continent, reaching his goal, northern Mexico, some 14,500 kilometres away. A year prior to this South American escapade, Whiddon kayaked across the bottom of England, from Cornwall to Dorset.

Despite the gruelling nature of his day job, training potential Royal National Lifeboat Institution volunteers in sea survival and first aid, Whiddon has found time for several fundraising activities, including the notoriously demanding Snowdonia Marathon. With all this in mind, an admission that his next undertaking “will definitely be the toughest of the lot,” is extremely striking.

This December, alongside his friend Lloyd Figgins, Whiddon will depart on a mission to conquer the Atlantic Ocean, setting off from the Moroccan port of Agadir in the hope of rowing their way to Antigua. Though the 3,000 nautical mile epic is on the horizon, over half a year away, Whiddon’s brain is already whirring with excitement.

“It’s starting to become real,” he explains, articulating his anticipation carefully. ”As I think about what it’s going to be like more and more, it is becoming more and more real. I’m a little bit nervous, but mainly just looking forward to it. We’ve put a lot of hard work into it and it looks good.”

A swift glance at Whiddon’s CV is enough to confirm that he wholeheartedly values hard graft. However, he is also quick to acknowledge that corporeal application is obsolete without the sturdy foundations of meticulous preparation beforehand. Atlantic Calling, he assures me, will be approached just so.

“We’ve been lucky because we have been working with Bournemouth University Sports Science Department,” Whiddon continues, exposing an obsessive streak inherent to the most impressive athletes. “They helped us with training programmes, giving us specific set exercises to do. Some concentrate on core stability, whilst others strengthen the muscles that are specific to rowing.”

“You can’t go into anything like this light-heartedly and make it up as you go along. Once you are out there, that’s it, so you have to be as prepared as it is possible to be. One of our big concerns is keeping fit throughout the duration, so food is going to be very important for us, as well as the equipment we are carrying.”

“There’s Lotil cream, too,” he finishes rather mysteriously, before going on hurriedly to justify one of his most trusted essentials with a smile. “That’s going to be vital for any sores we might develop, especially on the area we’re going to be sitting on for quite some time!”

This scrupulous attention to detail is mirrored in Atlantic Calling’s uncompromising mission statement, to raise more than £24,000, the sum needed to train all volunteers at one lifeboat station over the course of a year. Unsurprisingly, Whiddon is fully appreciative of the contribution that his efforts can make to the RNLI, a foundation wholly funded by charitable donations.

“I am one of the trainers down here at the Lifeboat College in Poole,” he says with audible pride, “so it’s very close to my heart. These volunteers are willing to risk their lives by going out to save others at sea, but the money is vital because only one in every ten of them turn up with a seafaring background.”

“The maritime specifics are so important. There are capsizing drills, which we conduct in our sea survival tank here at Poole, and other skills, too, which are crucial if someone has to head out in a life raft or conduct an emergency drill. There is no point having the equipment if you don’t know how to use it.”   

It is doubtful that Whiddon, who trained Ben Fogle and James Cracknell in 2005 prior to their Atlantic exploits (“they told us that our help was invaluable,” he crows), will have any trouble with the technical aspects of the crossing. Moreover, his composure suggests that the physical demands will be met determinedly. However, there is one fascinating facet that even this veritable action hero is unsure of.

“A lot of how we get on will be down to the psychological side of things,” he announces. “You never can tell how you are going to react. We are going to be out there for a long time, so it will be a case of breaking the challenge down into small challenges and achievements.”

Of course, there are bound to be moments over the months at sea wherein Whiddon and Figgins’ relationship comes under severe strain. Though the pair seem to be kindred spirits – they met a decade ago whilst leading treks in Peru – their seven metre long boat is bound to throw up the odd bout of claustrophobia.

“I think that will be quite hard,” Whiddon concedes, “but it will also give us both the opportunity to get a great insight into the way we both deal with things. We’ll both get stronger for it and, once we’ve completed it, we’ll be able to look back fondly.”

Such tenacious positivity has not been conjured up out of thin air. Whiddon is a proven performer, whose self-belief, though never moving into the realms of brashness, is palpable. His final thoughts, harking back to previous experience, portray a captivating mix of philosophical musing and abrasive competitiveness. 

“I’m a great believer that you can do whatever you want as long as you put your mind to it,” he states, using a line that might sound rather naff in anyone else’s mouth. “It’s mind over matter. You can be as fit as you want but if you haven’t adopted the right mindset and haven’t got the right motivation then you won’t succeed. It’s a case of finding that bubble and getting into a rhythm.”

“All I can look upon at the minute is the fact that the dream we are undertaking is amazing. Hopefully, when we get to Antigua, we can say we have realised that. We can then close that chapter in your life and move on.”

By the time he reaches English Harbour some time in early 2012, Whiddon will almost certainly have a good idea of the next chapter will entail and what colossal challenge is next on his relentless agenda. 

David Whiddon is an ambassador for Lotil Skin Cream. For more information, visit the Lotil website here.

For more information on the Atlantic Calling Challenge, visit the official website here.

Connect with Sportsvibe by joining our social media network. Join the debate to get your voice heard and stay informed with up-to-the-minute news, videos, competitions and articles from the world of sport.

Follow us on Twitter: @sportsvibe_says and @sportsvibe

Follow us on Facebook: Sportsvibe Says