Kevin Black (Skipper)
Charity: Warrior Expeditions
I will be 67 when I begin the Atlantic Challenge. Both my wife, Kristi, and I are retired U.S. Marines where we worked in the criminal justice field and deployed numerous times to the combat. I also retired from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs where I assisted servicemen and women applying for federal disability benefits. My wife and I have been together for 22 years. We have four children between us and five grandchildren.
I am an endurance athlete, having participated in dozens of marathons and ultra-marathons. I’ve also participated in many multi-day events and won the international Armed Forces Wilderness Challenge three times. I thru-hiked 4,280 km from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail after retiring from the military. Kristi and I have also ridden approximately 7,000 km on our bicycles across the United States on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. More recently, we rode our bicycles 1,770 km on the inaugural 9/11 Memorial Trail.
I am rowing to support Warrior Expeditions which provides sponsorships and support to combat veterans as they transition out of the military to hike, bike and paddle various long-distance trails and rivers as nature therapy. The famous naturalist, John Muir, put it best when he said, “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.
Gail Wolstenholme (Project Manager)
Charity: East Cheshire Hospice
I first experienced rowing a few weeks before the first lockdown of 2020 after seeing Deganwy rowing club row past me in their Celtic long boat on the Conwy river in North Wales. I quickly fell in love with the sights and sounds of the sea and the experience of rowing in beautiful North Wales.
Rowing is my passion, it brings a smile to my face and I often row twice a day both for leisure and in competition all over the North West of England and Wales. My favourite row has to be the Great River Race which is a 21.6 miles long race on the Thames in London. 2026 will be my fourth time rowing in this event.
In 2022, my club captain, Ron Kelsall, introduced me to the World’s Toughest Row and I began to follow it with admiration for people from all walks of life becoming super human heroes and taking on such an incredible challenge. The thought of taking part grew so in 2025 I decided to make it happen. Gulp! Creating team Old Enough To Row Better and recruiting a team of like-minded passionate people has been an adventure in itself, choosing and buying the boat has made it very real, all that’s left to do is row across the Atlantic!
I will be 57 when we take part in the Atlantic Challenge. Our team aims to inspire people of a similar age and beyond that they can still achieve amazing things. Physical fitness is not just for young people, mental resilience is ageless and the determination to challenge ourselves should never have an expiry date.
Having worked in the IT Industry I later qualified as an IT Teacher and I currently manage a property portfolio. My husband, who I have been with for 29 years, is a vital part of the Old Enough To Row Better support crew and we have 2 sons in their early 20s who took the news of this latest adventure with very little surprise. One might conclude they’ve become used to their mum’s crazy ideas.
Having spent a great deal of my adult years caring for family members at the end of their life I recognise the invaluable work of East Cheshire Hospice in providing high quality end of life care and also the support they give to families of loved ones receiving their care. My hope is that this adventure will raise awareness of their fantastic work and raise some funds to support them.
Molly Soassey
Charity: TBC
I hail from northern Colorado in the United States and will be the baby on the team as I round out my first half century this summer. I work as a Physician Assistant in a university health clinic providing acute care and primary care services, and regularly commit time to volunteering on medical missions teams to deliver healthcare to underserved populations in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
My husband Luke and I have been married for 23 years, and we have three children – Eden (18), Jasper (15), and River (12) – whom we have raised to adore sharing in our worldwide adventures.
While being a mother to three active children is certainly an endurance sport in its own category, I am also a devoted endurance athlete, having competed in countless marathons, triathlons, multi-sport events, long-distance cycling tours, and backpacking trips. In the last several years I have added rock climbing to my regular repertoire. Watersports have always held a favored place in my activities, growing up on the rivers and lakes of the Northwest with waterskiing and wakeboarding, kayaking, paddleboarding and whitewater rafting.
My invitation to participate in the World’s Toughest Row originated in a fortuitous friendship forged with teammate Kevin Black while rowing the Grand Canyon during the summer of 2025. I started on the Grand Canyon as a novice rower, but by the end I was rowing the toughest rapids the canyon had to throw at us, and was left with a thirst for more. I'm looking forward to taking on the next grand endeavor on the Atlantic Challenge.
Nicky Matthews
Charity: TBC
I will be 61 years old when I take on the World's Toughest Row for the second time. I successfully completed the World's Toughest Row in 2025/26, an experience that changed my life and left me determined to return to the Atlantic once again.
I am the proud mother of four amazing daughters, grandmother to four beautiful granddaughters, and two wonderfully crazy grandsons.
I was born and raised in Plymouth, where I first discovered rowing in my twenties. Rowing became a huge part of my life, and I even rowed through two of my pregnancies. It was during this time that I first heard about the World's Toughest Row. However, with young children to raise, I knew that the challenge would have to wait.
At the age of 30, I moved to Scotland and spent over 31 years living in Angus. During that time, I worked for Angus Council Children's Services for 24 years. Life became busy, and I stepped away from rowing for more than 28 years.
After losing several close family members, I found myself searching for purpose and direction. In 2018, I returned to rowing, and my passion for the sport was instantly reignited. It was also at my rowing club that I met my partner, Gabriel, and we began our relationship in late 2019.
From the moment I returned to racing, I knew I wanted to take on the challenge of crossing the Atlantic Ocean. My family and Gabriel supported me every step of the way, and in 2025/26 I achieved that dream by completing the World's Toughest Row.
No words can truly describe the experience. The waves towered like blocks of flats, the wildlife was breathtaking, and the feeling of being alone in the vastness of the ocean was both humbling and inspiring. It was an adventure unlike any other.
After completing the crossing, I knew I had another Atlantic row in me. This time, I wanted to share the challenge with Gabriel. When we met the crew of "Old Enough to Row Better," we immediately knew we had found the right team. The other crew members ticked every box—determined, resilient, ready for a challenge, and full of fun.
Together, we are preparing to take on the Atlantic once more, proving that age is no barrier to adventure and that dreams are worth pursuing at any stage of life.
Gabriel Murphy
Charity: TBC
At 61 years of age, I will be taking on the challenge of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. I grew up in Ringsend, Dublin, a proud rowing community, and have been rowing since I was 15. Coming from a family of eight children, sport was always a huge part of our lives, and rowing has remained a lifelong passion.
Over the years, I have completed many rowing challenges, including the Great River Race and the Celtic Challenge from Arklow to Aberystwyth. Rowing the Atlantic has always been a dream, but family commitments meant the timing was never right.
After moving to Scotland in 2013, I met my partner Nicky through rowing. Following her successful Atlantic crossing in 2025, we decided to take on this incredible challenge together.
Between us, we have five children and six grandchildren, and we want to show that age should never be a barrier to achieving your goals. My motto has always been simple: there is no such word as "can't"—yes, you can.
As part of the "Old Enough to Row Better" team, our aim is not only to cross the Atlantic but also to inspire others to stay active, embrace challenges, and believe that anything is possible.
One ocean. Five people. One goal.
We CAN do this.
Support Crew & Team PT Jade Rivers
Charity: East Cheshire Hospice
I am a fitness fanatic who has been pumping iron and crushing goals for over 20 years! As a pro coach and athlete, I've seen it all - from bodybuilding to marathon training, nutrition to life coaching. When I'm not managing the bodybuilding gym I own or helping clients achieve the impossible, you can find me romping with my fur babies or gazing out at the ocean. I'm excited to be taking part in the ultimate adventure: preparing the team to row the Atlantic!
To sponsor us click on the GoFundMe link above.