A ROYAL Marine from Combe St Nicholas has helped to raise over £16,000 after doing a sponsored row with his colleagues.

Command Warrant Officer Bob Cawley and men from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines have completed a gruelling 2,400km rowing marathon to raise money for charity.

The epic row took around three and a half days to complete, with each of them rowing about 50km a day, separating into pairs and rowing in shifts for 24 hours a day.

In order to prepare for the challenge, Bob spent a great deal of his summer leave at the CRESTA gym in Chard, often training two or three times a day alongside Fitness Room Manager Joe Philip. Bob said: “I found the CRESTA gym to be really top notch. What struck me was the age range of people there, from young lads in their twenties to older ladies in their 60s and 70s.

“Joe had a lot of patience and a lot of attention for everyone, almost one-to-one, which really helped some of the new members.”

Joe Philip said: “Congratulations to Bob and the team for completing their mammoth task, we’re proud to have been part of his training in the build-up for this.

“We welcome all ages and abilities to CRESTA in the challenge to get fit!”

The money raised from the row will be divided equally between the Chris Jones Riders Fund and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Children’s Fund, to do your bit, click on the link below.