Prince Williamis taking to the water to markMental Health Awarenessweek.
William, 40, stars in anew videothat was uploaded to the Prince and Princess of Wales' YouTube account on Sunday, where he joins members of theHMS Oardaciousfor a rowing trip.
HMS Oardacious, which sees crews of submariners take part in challenges to row across the Atlantic, was established in 2019 and raises funds to support the wellbeing, mental health and welfare of all submariners, both those who have served and are retired, and their families.
Appearing at Dorney Lake in Buckinghamshire, William — who serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Submarine Service — meets with Lieutenant Commander Hugo Mitchell-Heggs and his team, who are planning to cross the Atlantic in a new eco-friendly boat this December.
After getting to know the group, the father of three is asked if he’s ready to take part in a row along the lake, to which he playfully tells the crew, “The likelihood of me slapping somebody else’s oar is more likely that it’s going to happen.”
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Kensington Palace
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With the Prince of Wales noting that “you have to have a certain mentality to do your job,” Mitchell-Heggs continues, “You’re in a metal tube for months on end. Lots of your life’s pleasures are away, you don’t have sunlight or fresh air. You go from being a civilian to this whole new world where you’re working with shipmates and a whole new dynamic.”
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Back in January 2020, four serving Royal Navy submariners became the fastest military team in history to row across any ocean, according to a press release from Kensington Palace.
At the time, the group spent 37 days, 6 hours and 40 minutes traveling across the North Atlantic to reach Antigua as part of the annual Atlantic Challenge, which the release states is considered “the premier, and toughest, event in ocean rowing.”
The team, which later entered a crew in 2022, also has a group ready for 2023, 2024 and more. The teams so far have fundraised over $136,000 in support of mental health charity initiatives.
“Understanding our support networks is crucial because a lot of people don’t have those support networks and being able to form close bonds and realize that the only way we are going to get through all of this is to support each other and pull each other through,” William said in the release.
source: people.com
