William joins submariners who raise money to support the mental health of colleagues
The Prince of Wales has joined the crew of a team of Royal Navy submarines who have taken on a transatlantic rowing challenge to raise money for the mental health and wellbeing of their colleagues.
William, Commander-in-Chief, Submarine Service, has posted a YouTube video of his visit to the crew of HMS Oardacious attending a training session on Dorney Lake in Buckinghamshire.
HMS Oardacious was formed in 2019 to raise funds from submariners taking on the challenge of rowing across the Atlantic. £110,000 has been raised so far.
In January 2020, four Royal Navy submarines rowed across an ocean as the fastest military crew ever, battling 37 days, 6 hours and 40 minutes across the North Atlantic to reach Antigua as part of the annual Atlantic Challenge.
In the short, William meets co-founders Lieutenant Commander Callum Fraser and Lieutenant Commander Hugo Mitchell-Heggs, as well as Chief Petty Officer Jon Norfolk, who participated in Team 2022, and Lieutenant Isobel Rawlinson, who aspires to captain an all-star team. Women’s team in 2024.
The Prince takes to the water and rows while chatting with the members of HMS Oardacious, whose crews are competing for this year’s event and 2024.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “Together they discuss the importance of managing our mental health and how exercise can be used as a tool to manage that health.”
“The crew also recounted their experiences making the Atlantic crossing, the challenges they faced and the impact it had on their physical and mental health.
“Back at the boathouse, William hears more from the crew on how they are managing their mental health, how they support each other as a team, and the work HMS Oardacious is doing to raise awareness and fight the stigma attached to speaking out is spiritual well-being.”
During the film, William said, “Understanding our support networks is crucial because a lot of people don’t have those support networks and are unable to form close bonds and realize that we can only get through this through each other.” to support and pull through.”
The video was released as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs until Sunday May 21 and follows visits by the Princess of Wales to the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust in Bath and the Anna Freud Center in London to mark the event.
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