A local father has been nominated for an award after he raised nearly £170,000 for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) by completing a solo row in memory of his daughter.

Andrew Osborne, a 57-year-old businessman from Rutland, completed his unsupported row across the Atlantic in honour of his late daughter, Amy, earlier this year.

Amy died in her sleep aged 25 from an undiagnosed heart condition. This inspired Andrew to complete the mammoth row to raise money and prevent another family from suffering the same devastation. 

Andrew set out to raise £100,000 through his 'Row For Amy' campaign, but he exceeded his target by a huge amount, raising over £170,000 for CRY.

The charity offers lifesaving screenings to 30,000 young people aged 35 and under per year, and will be able to continue their hard work thanks to the hard work and generosity of Andrew, his sponsors and donors.

Andrew completed his training on Rutland Water before rowing across the Atlantic in memory of his daughter. Image credit: MHR.

Setting off from Gran Canaria on 8 January 2023, just a few days shy of the sixth anniversary of Amy's death on 14 January 2017, Andrew rowed tirelessly for 78 days before finally arriving in Antigua 3,000 miles and 1.5 million oar strokes later.

Along the way he overcame bouts of sickness, technical issues with the boat, loneliness and isolation, and even a large storm – but arrived at his destination unscathed and full of accomplishment.

Andrew decided to take on this gruelling challenge in memory of his daughter, Amy, who shared her father's love for water and sea, but passed away suddenly from an undiagnosed, asymptomatic heart condition. Each week in the UK, 12 seemingly healthy young people die from similar undetected heart defects, with four-fifths (80%) of them never exhibiting or feeling any symptoms. 

Andrew's goal was to raise the funds and awareness needed to put a stop to these staggering numbers and prevent others from losing their young, loved ones in the same way. His original fundraising target was £100,000, which he passed in January earlier this year.

The funds will go towards 3,000 lifesaving heart screenings for under-35s.

Andrew Osborne said: "My arduous voyage across the Atlantic has been the most gruelling and exhilarating experience of my life. Rowing solo across the Atlantic in a little 20-foot boat, I was pushed to the limits of endurance.

"Despite the challenge, each painstaking mile has been worth it, and it is the most humbling and rewarding feeling to know that every pull on the oars will give at least one young person the chance to receive lifesaving tests and be spared from experiencing the same tragic fate as Amy did. It is the honour and privilege of a lifetime to be able to raise this support and awareness, in memory of Amy.

"It has been a challenge of a lifetime, and the moral support from those tracking my journey has been pivotal. The generous donations of everyone both personal and sponsored has given me the strength and determination to forge on, in the moments when I felt like I no longer could."

Andrew training on Rutland Water before his row. Image credit: Andrew Osborne / MHR.

Following his incredible success, Andrew has been nominated for Endurance Fundraiser of the Year at the JustGiving Awards 2023.

People can vote for Andrew online. To place your vote, click on his profile, then scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your email address.

Congratulations Andrew!

Let us know if you have any fundraising events or good new stories to share by emailing [email protected].

We look forward to hearing from you.