Achill amputee to row solo from Canada to Achill

VOYAGER Paddy Gallagher.

Paddy Gallagher hopes to become the first amputee to row solo and unsupported across the Atlantic

Anton McNulty

AN Achill man who lost his leg in an explosion in Afghanistan is attempting to become the first amputee to row solo and unsupported across the Atlantic.
In attempting this incredible feat of endurance Paddy Gallagher is hoping to row solo and unsupported for 2,000 miles from St John’s in Newfoundland through the north Atlantic before arriving on Achill Island.
The Achill native plans to start his journey in mid-June of 2017 and hopes to reach Achill in  50 to 60 days.
In doing so he will echo the achievement of English rower Don Allum, who three decades ago became the first person to row solo across the Atlantic in both directions when he landed in Achill in September 1987.
“I would love to make the journey for the 30th anniversary of Dom Allum arriving in Achill,” the 31-year-old told The Mayo News. “I was in his boat, the QE3 when I was young and it is something I have always thought of emulating. He was washed ashore in Dooagh in a storm and had to be rescued by locals … hopefully I will have better luck.”
A native of Dugort on Achill Island, Paddy was serving with the Irish Guards in Helmand Province in Afghanistan when he lost his right leg below the knee in an Improvised Explosive Device blast in 2009.
Following the loss of his leg in Afghanistan, Gallagher returned to the UK where he is receiving treatment for his injuries. As part of his recuperation, he has partaken in a number of extreme events, and in February he was in a crew of four amputees who rowed from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean.
Paddy says that journey has given him the confidence to complete his new challenge – though  he does not underestimate the challenge ahead.
“It gave me confidence, and I know I can do it, but at the same time the weather will have a lot to say, and you never know what can go wrong. The North Atlantic will be a lot harder,” he said, adding that 66 percent of those who attempt the journey fail.
Paddy has already purchased his boat, a 24-foot Woodvale wooden rowing boat which he has christened ‘Man of Achill’. His training will include rowing two or three times a day on a rowing machine for two hours at a time.
Paddy currently lives in Cambridge with his wife Arlene and three-year-old son Patrick. He hopes to raise money for the Irish Guards Benevolent Fund. For more information, visit Row Paddy Row Facebook page and online, www.rowpaddyrow.co.uk.