A DAD is hoping to make his family proud by taking on the World’s Toughest Row to raise £100,000 for those living with Lewy body dementia.

At 42, Tom Skinner had never so much as picked up an oar two years ago but is now deep in training for his solo trans-Atlantic crossing at the end of next year.

The financial planning director, from East London, was inspired to take on the challenge by his father-in-law John. The former airline pilot retired at 58 after he developed Lewy body dementia. He now needs full-time care and support.

Tom said: “It feels like a death of a thousand deaths, it is tough. It hit me that I design lifelong plans for people and then they don’t get to retirement or get to retirement and only get 18 months or get really poorly so can’t do the things they want to do. I wanted to adopt the mentality of getting out there and just doing it.” 

Lewy body dementia is the second most common form of the disease in older people. The key symptoms are cognitive fluctuations, sleep disturbance, such as acting out dreams, hallucinations, and movement issues similar to Parkinson’s.

Supported by his wife Jane, Tom is training every day for competing against nine other solo rowers crossing the 3,000 miles from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua.

He said: “I am excited about the challenge – I will be solo and there are moments of fear and worry but the boat is a fantastic piece of equipment – if you look after it, it will look after you.”

The impressive vessel is named Barnaby Cecil after the couple’s sons Charlie Cecil, eight, and Otto Barnaby, six.

Preparation has not all been plain sailing. Describing ocean rowing as “wrestling with the sea”, Tom admits being rather embarrassed to have had to be rescued by the RNLI while in training.

But it is all good experience, being ready for anything. “Fifty boats are involved in the challenge but within an hour all of those vessels will be out of sight. We will face unpredictable weather conditions, isolation, and the monotony of the open sea. I will definitely capsize at some point.”

Being at sea over the festive period will be an additional challenge, Tom acknowledges.

“I am fit and strong, but it will be a tough mental challenge as much as physical. I will miss the family – especially on Christmas Day, that will be miserable. I will be eating – dehydrated expedition food! The perfect day on the sea will be five three-hour rows. The whole journey tends to take about 44 days, but my target is 40.”

It will all be worthwhile when he makes landfall in the Caribbean. The Skinner family will be reunited for a two-week holiday in Antigua afterwards.

Jacqui Cannon, CEO of Lewy Body Society, who will be the recipient of the fundraising, said: “The scale of Tom’s challenge is quite staggering. More than 3,000 miles at sea alone seems unimaginably difficult. We know Lewy body dementia families often feel something like that sort of isolation and we are working hard to ensure they have the support they need when they feel they can’t cope. Tom’s support for Lewy Body Society’s work during this global event will help raise much-needed awareness putting our dementia care and research on the map.”

Follow Tom’s progress and support his efforts at https://rowyourownboat.co.uk/.