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World's oldest Ocean Rower to keep rowing
16:17 p.m. EST Apr 19, 2004
At 65 years old, Pavel Rezvoy is the oldest ocean rower in the history of ocean rowing. When he, after 62 days, crossed the finish line in Barbados, he arrived as number two of the solo class in ORSARR 2004, only 2,5 days after the winner.
It was a tight race between the young gun vs. the grey wolf for the top position of the six participating solo rowers. Sam, 23, went out in the lead, but was eventually overtaken by Pavel. Pavel was leading when he suddenly dropped his average speed towards the end and Sam caught up.
So what's Pavel up to these days? Well, he'll keep rowing:
-"There is nothing to do in Ukraine for senior citizens", he says. "So I'm off for Cuba!"
"I have caught insuperable desire to set out on the ocean – until now, five sixths of the globe has been unknown to me. 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.
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. Teddy will make another attempt this summer.
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. Pavel Rezvoy is a geologist from Ukraine.
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