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Cheeky Slappers
The story of my quest to become the first person to row solo from New York to London and the adventures that led me there
by Mark Delstanche
An extraordinary account of Mark’s incredible journey, making him the first person to row solo and unsupported from New York to London. This remarkable feat was achieved in the face of the worst summer storms in the North Atlantic in four decades.
Mark’s life is a tapestry of thrilling and daring adventures, from fighting fires to encountering a Polar Bear in his underpants. His experiences have taken him to the highest point on Earth and placed him in some of the most extreme environments on the planet. Along the way, he has pushed the boundaries of human endurance and even set two world records.
The book provides readers with a candid, moving, and often humorous insight into Mark’s life. It traces his upbringing in suburban London, his time in the Fire Brigade, and his subsequent career in Super-yachting. All of these experiences culminate in his ultimate and life-affirming challenge of rowing solo from New York to London.
“Cheeky Slappers” promises to be a captivating and inspiring read, filled with tales of resilience, determination, and the indomitable human spirit. Mark’s journey is a testament to the power of setting audacious goals and relentlessly pursuing them, no matter the odds.
Published by Square Peg Productions on 2023-10-04
Mark was born in the suburbs of London in 1974 and had a very ‘normal’ upbringing, raised along with his elder sister by his father, a fire fighter and his mother, a school dinner lady.
From early on in his life, it was fairly obvious to anybody observing that he had zero aptitude for sports requiring any degree of speed or skill however, over time , it became apparent that he did at least have a grit and determination to endure more than most others, always being able to ‘out plod’ kids bigger and stronger than him.
Though his upbringing was fairly normal, a lust for life, introduced to him by his father would skew him in different directions over the years and Mark, not one to pass up an opportunity for adventure, took full advantage of new challenges open to him.
Through a combination of life choices and chance conversations, he would go on to pursue careers in the London Fire Brigade and super-yachting. Latterly, he discovered a passion for adventure travel which would fuel a desire to push the very limits of human endeavour, at first in mountaineering, then on the high seas, culminating in an attempt to set a new world record by becoming the first person in history to row solo and unsupported from New York to London.
