Nevada man takes on 2,800-mile Pacific rowing challenge for childhood cancer charity

RENO, Nev. (KRNV) — Rowing the length of the Pacific Ocean sounds impossible but that's exactly what one Nevada man is doing.

Owen Gray, from Reno, set off June 12 from Monterey, California and hopes to reach Kuai, Hawaii, crossing 2,800 miles of ocean within 50 to 60 days.

Gray is testing the limits of the human body and mind as part of the "World's Toughest Row" competition. The race will see incredible humans from around the world, including the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands. Gray and the other rowers are expected to encounter large waves, unpredictable weather conditions, and the solitude of the vast Pacific Ocean. With no engine-powered assistance, these athletes will rely solely on their strength and resilience to get their kayaks to the finish line.

I like seeing what happens when things get emotionally dark and the power of the ocean when she wants to show you her strength," Gray said.

Gray and his partner, a rower from Littleton, Colorado, will row in two-hour shifts while the other one sleeps. They also have food storage on the kayak as well as a unit that turns salt water into fresh.

This is also not Gray's first competition. He has previously rowed the entire Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic race happens annually. Rowers start in the Canary Islands and row more than 3,000 miles to Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, in Antigua and Barbuda in the West Indies. But, he says, that doesn't give him an advantage.

I wish it was going to be easy but it's a lot harder to get off of the coast of California because winds want to take you to Mexico, so you're going across that current for the first three weeks so it's more challenging of a row," Gray explains.

Gray explained that to prepare he had to do extreme physical training, as well as mental preparation, for the journey ahead as exposure to heat, sun, dehydration and illness can likely occur. Even with those obstacles, he said they are ready because Gray doesn't just do this for himself. He puts himself through this in order to raise money for Okizu, a non-profit organization that raises money for families in northern Nevada suffering from childhood cancer. His goal for this row is to raise $100,000 and so far he reached $80,000.

To follow Gray's progress you can see live tracking updates available on the official World’s Toughest Row website. There you can see real-time data on locations, race statistics, and even stories from the rowers themselves.