Australia to Africa by human power -
thousands of miles, zero excuses!
2026
The countdown is on...
The Indian Ocean row is the latest part of the Brain Waves Challenge – creating a unique environment to generate critical and invaluable research data for Parkinson’s Disease and PTSD, directly from those living with these conditions.
Meet the Crew
Billy Taylor
Billy started ocean rowing challenges in 2014 after finding out his childhood friend had been diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease.
He has rowed across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, the Mediterranean and the English channel, all of which have been used to raise awareness of Parkinson’s Disease and mental health charities.
Susannah
Susannah started ocean rowing challenges in 2014 after finding out her childhood friend had been diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease.
She has rowed across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, the Mediterranean and the English channel, all of which have been used to raise awareness of Parkinson’s Disease and mental health charities.
Glyn Roberts
Glyn started ocean rowing challenges in 2014 after finding out his childhood friend had been diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease.
He has rowed across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, the Mediterranean and the English channel, all of which have been used to raise awareness of Parkinson’s Disease and mental health charities.
Female
Billy started ocean rowing challenges in 2014 after finding out his childhood friend had been diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease.
He has rowed across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, the Mediterranean and the English channel, all of which have been used to raise awareness of Parkinson’s Disease and mental health charities.
Proudly Supporting
Monkey Fist Adventures are proudly raising money and awareness for Race Against Dementia and Rock to Recovery.
Founded by Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, after his wife Helen’s frontotemporal dementia diagnosis, Race Against Dementia funds early-career researchers to accelerate progress towards a cure for dementia. With over 55 million people affected globally and someone diagnosed every three seconds, Race Against Dementia is taking immediate action to drive significant breakthroughs and develop leaders in the field. RAD’s vision is to win the race against dementia by accelerating global research towards a breakthrough cure with the utmost urgency. This will be achieved by coalescing the brightest minds from medicine, motorsport and engineering to make that happen.
R2R offers confidential one to one specialist change management coaching for members of the Armed Forces, 999 Services and their immediate family members, either face to face, via Zoom or by telephone, with a fully qualified change management coach. The charity covers England, Wales, Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man. This is a free service and R2R aim to respond to all enquiries within 48 hours. Sessions are available for as long as you need us. You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to – R2R works at your pace and what you feel comfortable with. Following our unique experiences, R2R recognises the need for rapid preventative interventions, specific coaching and assistance. R2R’s non-clinical approach is aimed at inspiring, coaching, motivating and supporting individuals to experience real and positive change in their lives by “rethinking your thinking”. R2R encourages everyone to engage in their own recovery and find their “rock”. No two client journeys are the same. Positive change is always possible.
The Research
Throughout the Brainwaves challenge, Monkey Fist Adventures are conducting research to benefit people and planet.
Microplastics Research with the University of Michigan
There are currently very few ways to actively sample the level of plastics that are floating in
our oceans today. Many of these approaches depend highly on manual, labour intensive
studies to confirm the presence and amount of plastics entering into our oceans. The data
we collect for Michigan University will be used to help develop a new way to detect and
monitor the movement and concentration of microplastics using satellite technology.
Mental Health Research with Oxford Brookes
Mental Health issues in the UK have gone largely ignored for generations and it is only
recently that people have felt comfortable to discuss conditions such as PTSD. This is
despite the fact that an estimated 3,800,000 people in the UK are believed to be living with
the condition. The research carried out by Oxford Brookes University will aim to provide a
better understanding of how exercise is beneficial for those suffering from anxiety and
depression. Public awareness of PTSD should and needs to be raised and the condition
destigmatised. We hope to use the media surrounding the row to do so.
Immersive Experience Collection with the University of Exeter
Access to the outdoors is beneficial for the body and mind. But, physical barriers to access mean that many people do not get to experience these benefits. The University of Exeter explore the multi-faceted uses of Virtual and Immersive technology to help provide outdoor experiences to those who are not able to enjoy them first hand. By filming 360 degree videos from the Indian Ocean, we will contribute to this project – giving a “real life” experience of our time at sea to generate innovative virtual experience.