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Worlds oldest Ocean Rower arrives in second top position
12:37 p.m. EST Mar 22, 2004
Pavel Rezvoy crossed the finish line at Port St. Charles Barbados today at 05:15:23GMT. He arrived 2,5 days after the winner, Sam Knight, who crossed the finish line Friday 16:48:20GMT March 19, becoming the winner of the solo class in ORSARR 2004.
At 65 years old, Pavel Rezvoy is the oldest ocean rower in the history of ocean rowing and he did it in 62 days. Pavel is the oldest and at 23, Sam is the youngest. It was a tight race between the two for the top position of the six participating solo rowers. Sam went out in the lead, but was eventually overtaken by Pavel. Pavel was leading until around two weeks back, when he suddenly dropped his average speed and Sam caught up.
Rowing must run in Pavel's family's blood. His son is none other than Teddy Rezvoy, who has previously rowed the Atlantic from East to West in 2001 and set out to row solo in the reverse direction last summer, before he had an unwanted visit from the U.S. Navy (read the story in the link).
Pavel’s own interest in ocean rowing began years ago. His younger brother was a part of Peter Bird’s support team for his attempt to row the Pacific from Vladivostok to San Francisco. But he truly caught the bug when he helped his son Teddy in his preparations for his row from the Canary Islands to Barbados:
"It was then that I caught insuperable desire to set out on the ocean – until now, five sixths of the globe was unknown to me." As he again helped Teddy with preparations for the abruptly-ended 2003 attempt, Pavel considered his own ocean dream and decided, "It's time. It's time to set sail (oars) … while I still can."
Pavel is just another example that the term "while I still can" is stretching these days. Mexican Ramon Blanco, recently became the oldest to summit the Seven Summits at age 70. The oldest Himalayan 8000+ climber is a 70+ Japanese female. British Simon Murray just became the oldest person to ski to the South Pole at the age of 63 and last year Japanese Yuichiro Miura became the oldest person to summit Everest at the age of 70.
Congrats Pavel - way to go!
Sam has worked as a marine biologist and hopes to move into a career in fisheries management. Pavel Rezvoy is a geologist and dad to Teddy Rezvoy, who has previously rowed the Atlantic from East to West in 2001 and set out to row solo in the reverse direction last summer, before he had an unwanted visit from the U.S. Navy.
Ocean Rowing Society Atlantic Rowing Regatta ORSARR 2004 takes place to celebrate the 35th anniversaries of the first East-West solo ocean row by John Fairfax and first West-East solo ocean row by Tom McClean; and 33rd anniversary of the first Atlantic East-West double row by Geoff and Don Allum.
Image of Pavel arrival courtesy of Oceanrowing.com
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