Teenage friends from a Monmouth school will be tackling a monster rowing challenge on Loch Ness on Saturday 15th September in memory of an aspiring cox.

Eight rowers from Monmouth School for Boys are raising funds towards the cost of a new boat in honour of Tom, who died in June, at the age of 13, after a short illness.

“Tom loved his experience of rowing at Monmouth School for Boys and he could not wait to get into the cox seat,” explained 16-year-old Angus, who is spearheading the rowing challenge.

“We want to support the fantastic work of the Cancer Research Wales charity and we are also raising funds towards the cost of a new boat, named after Tom, to keep his rowing dream alive.”

The 22.7-mile challenge, called Monster the Loch 2018, is taking place in Inverness.

A mass participation race, Monster the Loch is open to all human-powered boat types.

Angus will be joined by fellow Monmouth School for Boys’ J-16 rowers Edward, Ben, Hamish, Bill, Dan, Matt and Rui.

Angus is keen to follow in the footsteps of his father, Adrian, who set a record rowing on Loch Ness in 1976.

Adrian rowed the length of Loch Ness 42 years ago, when he was a pupil at Sir Thomas Rich’s School in Gloucester, and set a record of 2 hours and 35 minutes in a J-16 coxed VIII.

Since then, the record for rowing Loch Ness has been cut by seven minutes but the Monmouth crew will be aiming to attempt to set a new time.

“The prospect of rowing 22.7 miles will be a considerable challenge for us in conditions which could be unpredictable,” said Angus, who wants to row for Great Britain at an Olympic Games one day.

“But we have prepared well and are ready for the challenge. We will aim to keep nice and relaxed and, hopefully, we won’t sink.”

Headmaster at Monmouth School for Boys, Dr Andrew Daniel, is supporting the rowers’ epic challenge on Loch Ness.

“Tom’s death came as a terrible shock for the whole Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools’ community,” said Dr Daniel.

“Tom was a popular and caring boy and his loss is still felt immeasurably by us all.

“As well as his fondness for rowing, Tom was a very talented drummer, who sang in the magical performance by the schools’ musicians at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome in the summer of 2017.”

To support the boys’ Loch Ness rowing challenge, please visit:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/msrc-monstertheloch2018?utm_id=1&utm_term=wNVpxBBE