Charlie Martell, who left the school in 1987, is the founder of Commando Joe – a team of British Army Commandos who will undertake three ‘extreme challenges’ in the next three years, raising at least £100,000 for the Meningitis Trust. Early last month, the team completed the first of its challenges, a 320-mile footrace to the Magnetic North Pole, in record-breaking time and attention has now turned to the second challenge, a 3,100 mile row across the North Atlantic Ocean.

Mr Martell and his team mates will have on display Team Hesco, the 29ft boat in which the four-man crew will make their crossing in June 2006. During the course of the weekend, students will have the opportunity to question the team on some of the challenges they’ll face, and get ‘hands-on’ experience of life in an ocean-rowing boat when the team takes to the Moray Firth on Saturday. The team will be rowing out with the Moray Gig, a 38’ community training boat focused on educating young people about seamanship.

“Gordonstoun’s ethos is one of challenging yourself to build on your strengths, and addressing your weaknesses,” explains 34-year old Mr Martell, who now works as a humanitarian mine-clearer in countries around the world. “It’s about demonstrating that anything is possible, provided you apply yourself properly.

“Endurance, courage and self-discipline were common features of my school days and they’re central values to us as a team. We’ll be drawing on these strengths during our challenges.

“What’s really important is that these are values which hold true for whatever path in life one chooses to pursue, so I hope our presence here this weekend will inspire today’s pupils in a similar fashion.”

Ben Goss, a member of staff at Gordonstoun, says the visit of the Commando Joe team has been eagerly anticipated.

“Outdoor education is a central part of the school’s curriculum and I think that’s why our pupils are so interested in the challenges that Commando Joe is planning. Having an OG as the founding member of the team is very motivating.

“The team has a lot of work to do to complete its objectives, but I’m sure their visit here this week will gain them a lot of supporters amongst our students.”

-ends-

June 20, 2005

Notes to editors:
1. Commando Joe is raising money for the Meningitis Trust by racing to the North Pole in 2005, rowing the Atlantic Ocean in 2006, and completing an as-yet unspecified desert race in 2007.

2. In May 2005, Charlie Martell, from Gloucestershire; Steve Clewley, from Newquay; and Gary Bullen, from Falmouth, completed the Scott Dunn Polar Challenge in nine days, 17 hours and 39 minutes.

3. In June 2006, Charlie Martell, Ben Fouracre, from Wiltshire, and Pete Rowlands and Mark Waterson, both from Yorkshire, will row the 3,100 miles from New York to Falmouth. They will be aiming to beat the current record for the crossing, which stands at 55 days.

4. The team adopted the Meningitis Trust as their charity following the death of Gareth, the 16-year-old son of team member Pete Rowlands. A keen sportsman who played for his county, Gareth was at boarding school when he contracted meningitis in 2003. The first Pete and his wife Helen knew of the situation was when they received a devastating ‘phone call from the school with the news of Gareth’s death. Raising awareness of the disease, and the Trust’s work, is extremely important for the team.

5. Charlie Martell and Mark Waterson, accompanied by campaign manager Adrian Bell, will visit Gordonstoun School on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 June 2005. On Friday afternoon, the boat will be displayed on North Lawn, Gordonstoun, before taking to the water in Hopeman Harbour. On Saturday, between 1000hrs and 1700hrs, the location is Findhorn Bay/Moray Firth, where Commando Joe will be demonstrating to pupils the ocean rowing boats on the water.

6. The Moray Gig is a community gig affiliated to UK Atlantic Challenge, an organisation inspired by the teachings of Gordonstoun’s founder, Kurt Hahn. The charity is run by David Byatt, a former teacher at Gordonstoun. Its aim is to ‘educate and train young people through the medium of the sea’, using ‘teamwork, interaction and social skills whilst increasing self-confidence.’

For further information, photography, or to arrange interviews or photo shoots, please contact Commando Joe’s campaign manager, Adrian Bell:

+44 (0)7976 866808 or adrian@commando-joe.co.uk

or refer to the team’s website at www.commando-joe.co.uk

High-resolution images can also be downloaded from the press resources area