Vic prepares to take on his ‘challenge of a lifetime’

Later this year, Vic Handley will be rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean at the tender age of 70. He will be taking on ‘the world’s toughest row’ in aid of four charities – Umbrella, Enthusiasm Trust, Derby County Community Trust and Derby and Derbyshire mental health charity MIND. Here, Vic takes time out from his gruelling training schedule to tell us, in his own words, his story and how he is preparing, both mentally and physically, for what he describes as his ‘challenge of a lifetime’.

My name is Vic Handley. On the 12 December, I will be rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean at the age of 70 – from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean, a distance of 3000 miles.

Organised by Atlantic Campaigns, it is known as the ‘World’s Toughest Row’.

As a proud Derby lad born and bred, it seemed natural to me to call my boat “City of Derby UK.”

I want Derby, its people, my charities and the many wide and diverse skills and expertise this city and county has to offer to benefit in some small way from the national and global publicity that this event generates.

I was born on 7 November 1954. My early childhood was idyllic, my later childhood not so – and that’s all I’m going to say about it.

Suffice to say, as I grew up, I was determined that my childhood experience would make me and not break me.

It is because of those experiences that I am the man I have been and the man I am today.

Over the years I’ve developed a strength of character, a resilience to overcome challenges and a determination to be the best at whatever I do, whether it be my family, work, or sport.

I’m a very positive person whose glass is always half full. I will need these qualities and a lot more to overcome this challenge of my lifetime.

I don’t have to do this challenge. I could just play golf or walking football or just relax and enjoy my retirement.

I’ve achieved most of what I wanted to do in life. I was successful in my work life….eventually.

I rose from being “a common labourer” as my mum once said, to being deputy group managing director at Van Elle, a geotechnical engineering contractor with a turnover approaching £100 million and over 500 employees.

When I retired in December 2016, there was still fire in my belly. I still had ambitions and dreams to fulfil.

As a child I dreamed of playing football for my beloved Derby County.

On retiring I was introduced to walking football and within a year I was proud to pull on the Rams shirt for the first time and continue to do so even now aged 69!

That led me to try and fulfil another boyhood dream – to play for my country.

After regional and national trials, in August 2020, aged 65, I made my England debut.

Standing on the pitch in my England kit, chest out singing the national anthem was an amazing feeling!

I went on to win five England caps and was honoured to captain my country twice.

The moral is to never give up on achieving your dreams and ambitions, never let age be a barrier to fulfilling them.

My biggest achievement, and it always will be, is my family.

Of course, I couldn’t do that on my own. I met Valerie, my wife of 46 years on my 20th birthday at a city nightclub. The best birthday present ever!

She is my rock, not just mine, our whole family. She is quietly strong and fiercely protective of our family. She is a remarkable lady. I am nothing without her.

We have three amazing adult children Nina, Sasha and Mitch and four wonderful grandchildren Charlie, Jessica, Jaxon and Dexter.

Val and I are also blessed to have two great sons in law in Nick and Sam and a soon to be wonderful daughter in law in Steph.

I always get emotional when I talk about my family – it’s a standing family joke.

I think it’s because I literally burst with pride at how they have all turned out and that usually manifests in me getting teary!

They are hardworking, caring, successful in their own right, respected and loved by many.

We’re all very close and the biggest sacrifice I can make in carrying out my ocean challenge is to be apart from them for many weeks and to put them through the worry and stress I know they try to hide.

It’s true they would rather me not embark on this challenge, but after getting over the initial shock, they are all fully behind me and know that I am training hard and will succeed!

As Val told them “You know that once your dad gets an idea in his head there’s no stopping him!”.

I asked Val recently what she will do while I am away?

“Change the locks!” she replied. I guess humour is one of the ways she deals with the worry.

I first heard about rowing the Atlantic Ocean about 15 years ago. I’ve always liked a challenge, so I told my gym trainer Pete Swaile of Derby Fitness Hub, that I fancied doing that one day.

He sort of didn’t take it seriously, as he was training me for another of my challenges at the time, to row in the British Indoor Rowing Championships aged 55.

I came second to last but beat my personal best time, which is what I set out to do.

A couple of years later I heard about white collar boxing. I fancied giving it a go. I was 57 years old. What could possibly go wrong?

I turned up for the first meeting and as I walked into the room it fell silent.

I swear I was the only one there without a tattoo – and I was the oldest by a country mile!

My eldest daughter Nina was with me. She questioned whether I was sure I wanted to go through with it.

Well, I did go through with it. Pete trained me hard – as did Clifton Mitchell a former heavyweight champion.

I entered the ring against a guy called Paul Hitchcock who was obviously much younger than me.

After three hard fought rounds the referee announced it was a draw.

I was delighted with that result as Paul and I became and still are firm friends. We always laugh about the black eye I gave him!

So, 13 years later, I’m back with Pete who’s training me for my ultimate Atlantic challenge.

He laughed when I told him what I was going to do because he knew I’d be back.

Pete trains me on land. My at sea trainer is a guy called Matt Mason.

Matt is a serving Royal Marine Commando who has rowed three oceans already.

He sets out on his fourth row in June this year from San Francisco to Hawaii.

Next year, he will row the Indian Ocean from Australia to Africa.

Matt knows everything there is to know about ocean rowing, so I am in good hands.

All my physical training on land and sea is going well. It’s hard, really hard!

I have not long returned from my second ‘at sea’ training session, rowing mostly around the Isle of Wight and practicing various disciplines and techniques, including man overboard.

This means I must go overboard, do a complete lap of my boat and climb back on board.  Not as easy as it sounds as exhaustion can easily kick in.

I’ve achieved it first time each time we have practised it. Matt says people half my age sometimes struggle to do it.

Matt doesn’t hold back because of my age – I like that. I’ve a lot to learn and practice so that it becomes second nature as it could save my life.

My mental training is going to be my biggest issue, my biggest challenge.

Being away from my family and friends is something that I must deal with along with the isolation, sleep deprivation, salt sores, exhaustion and much more.

I can’t describe in words what I might go through because Mother Nature will be in charge, she will decide what is in store for me.

To give you an idea, please take time to watch on YouTube ‘The World’s Toughest Row Race Summary Atlantic 2023/24’.

It will give you a bit of an idea. Please watch it to the very end, it will sadly highlight the risk involved.

I’ve had tremendous support so far from companies and individuals in and around Derby.

In a few days’ time I will be announcing my two major lead corporate partners.

They are both iconic Derby companies and brands and I’m super excited that they have decided to come on board.

As lead partners they will join other partners such as P&C Renewables, HUUB, Green Piling and others.

There are still opportunities to join me and get your brand on board and share my experience.

I must also mention the support I’ve had from everyone at Marketing Derby. They have been amazing, as has Yvonne Gorman at Essential Print Services and Cara and Jamie at Derby Sign and Graphics.

I’m not doing this for myself, I’m going to raise funds for four amazing charities.

They are Umbrella, Enthusiasm Trust, Derby County Community Trust and Derby and Derbyshire mental health charity MIND.

They all carry out fantastic work and are either close to my heart or resonate with a period of my life.

As usual, I have set my sights high with the aim of raising £200,000, split equally between them.

To achieve this, we need your help. As Bondholders, Derby and Derbyshire companies, or individuals, please consider holding an event to raise a minimum of just £100 and donate it, not forgetting gift aid through my Givewheel donation page, or just click on the QR code.

That has the potential to raise over £40,000!

In addition, every person or company donation of £100 or more will automatically enter you into a draw to win an all-inclusive holiday for two to Antigua to watch me arrive.

Companies could hold their own internal draw or competition or reward an outstanding individual within their organisation.

All monies raised will go to the charities, the holiday cost will be covered elsewhere. So, get raising the money and you’ll be in with a chance of winning the holiday!

Finally, as I have said before, this is the physical and mental challenge of my lifetime.

If I use the golfing analogy, I am on the 16th hole of life, when my round is over and I look back on my 18 holes, I want to have no regrets, I want to have shown everyone that age is not a barrier to realising your dreams and ambitions.

The famous golfer Ben Hogan once said: “As you walk down the fairway of life, you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.”

I’m making the most of my round, make the most of yours.

With less than 200 days to go, wish me luck and please donate to my charities whatever amount you can.

To find out more about Vic’s epic rowing challenge visit https://vicsoloatlanticrow.com/ .

To make a donation visit https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/2014/vics-solo-atlantic-row/ .