HONOLULU (KHON2) — Tim Crockett and his son, Harrison, have successfully rowed over 2,400 nautical miles in hopes to break records and spread awareness.
They set out on their journey to achieve the title as “the first father and son team to row the Mid-Pacific route,” officials said.
“We know we are the first father-son team; that’s a given. Whether it gets acknowledged with a Guinness World Record is what we are trying to plead our case,” said Tim Crockett. “The first father-son team was a part of a group of five, still a great achievement, but we did this just on our own.”
But the journey isn’t just about breaking records. The pair also looked to raise awareness for veterans’ mental health.
“It’s a big issue, it’s an ongoing issue. It has waned very much in the media and in the public,” said Tim Crockett.
“I spent 12.5 years in British military. First in the Marines and then Special Boat Service. I spent much of my time in and around the water. But what kicked all this off was back in 2017 I reconnected with an old marine’s buddy of mine. We had connected over social media after not speaking for about 20 years then I come to find out six weeks later that he had died.” said Tim Crockett. “I wasn’t sure if that was him reaching out because he was struggling but I wanted to do something to honor him.”
Check out more news from around Hawaii
Tim Crockett has previously rowed 3,000 nautical miles solo to raise awareness for veterans’ mental health and honor his friend and many others.
Tim Crockett continues to work towards his cause at home in Atlanta. The ‘Row to Recovery’ where he works to support veterans struggling with mental health issues and PTSD.
Wednesday, June 16, marked day 44 at sea, which initially began on June 3 from San Francisco Bay in a 24-foot boat, unsupported. They ended their epic journey in Hilo at the Grand Naniloa Hotel.
“We had just struggled through 48 days. It was an epic struggle to get in here and we knew there would be a welcoming party to some extent, but we didn’t know how warm an embrace it would be. There were more people than we were expecting wanting to meet with us and thank us and share their own kind of story. It was phenomenal,” said Tim Crockett.
“You don’t realize how supportive people like friends and family are until you get put into a situation where you need that help,” said his son Harrison Crockett. “A key example is the letters my mother reached out to some of my friends and had them write inspirational notes which is really sweet.”
“You don’t have to go through whatever you are going through alone. We didn’t just row the ocean by ourselves; we had a team supporting us. We had family, friends, and people I’ve never met before supporting us. Realize that you have that support network with you and with that network you can get through anything,” said Tim Crockett.
To learn more and support their mission, you can visit their website.