Tackling the “Toughest Row” to Help Those in the Toughest Fight

When VeloSano first came to fruition in 2014, it was designed as a community bike ride in Cleveland to raise funds for cancer research at Cleveland Clinic.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic halted in-person activities in 2020, the VeloSano team had to pivot to keep the momentum alive, the “Virtual Fundraising” option was born. And even though VeloSano Bike to Cure Weekend resumed in-person the following year, the ability for participants to fundraise with “no bike required” remained a popular fixture of the movement.

Now called “VeloSano Champion for the Cure,” participants have found all sorts of unique ways to raise funds – dog walking, indoor spin cycling, even hosting video gaming events.

But this year, one person decided to take on a Champion for the Cure challenge unlike any before it.

More than 3,700 miles away from Cleveland, Charles Murray, MBBS, PhD, FRCP, Chair of Gastroenterology at Cleveland Clinic London, has committed to raising funds for VeloSano by participating in The World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic. The challenge? 3,000 miles across the hot, fierce and unpredictable Atlantic Ocean as part of a four-person crew, rowing from the volcanic shores of San Sebastian de La Gomera, Spain to in Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua.

One might wonder: how on earth did a gastroenterologist get involved in something like this?

“I have a friend who’s obviously completely crazy, who had always wanted to row the Atlantic,” says Dr. Murray. “I thought he was joking at first, because despite having done endurance events and triathlons, I have no background in being on the sea or in marine activities at all.”

Two years later, Dr. Murray found himself fully committed to training. But the row was never about him – he knew there had to be a purpose behind it.

“It occurred to me very early on in the process that if I was going to raise money, then it should be for VeloSano,” he says.

As a gastroenterologist, Dr. Murray sees many patients with colorectal cancer, which is increasingly being diagnosed in younger adults worldwide. But when a close friend was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the devastation hit home especially hard.

“In the last two years, while preparing for this race, my friend, who was the best man in my wedding, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died about a year ago,” says Dr. Murray. “Seeing that journey, and how very difficult it was for him and his family, was a very tough thing to watch. We grew up together; we were friends in primary school.”

Knowing that he could make an impact, not just as a physician, but also as a fundraiser, has motivated Dr. Murray to raise as much as he can through this endeavor. Dr. Murray also knows firsthand that his efforts can support cancer research across Cleveland Clinic’s global enterprise.

“Cleveland Clinic is a center for innovation in medicine, and we are now one worldwide family; we all work as one enterprise and we all innovate and research together,” he says. “And it is only in places like Cleveland Clinic that you can do the work that’s needed at this stage. Cancer diagnosis, treatment and management were static for so many years and now we’re in a space where we can do innovative things, to take things further, because of the projects that are being funded through VeloSano.”

While caring for patients at Cleveland Clinic London takes up most of Dr. Murray’s time, his commitment to the Toughest Row has been steadfast. At this stage, he’s given up his weekends to training. His crew has even enlisted a rowing instructor who has been guiding the team’s training to make sure the rowers are physically prepared for when they head onto the water.

“We’ve spent lots of time in the gym, just trying to get as strong as we can,” says Dr. Murray. “We have our boats off the south coast of England, and we go down there and do ridiculous rows. I finish work on a Friday, go down, get on the boat and stay on it till Sunday night, and then come home again and just keep rowing the whole weekend. We’ve managed around 200 hours of rowing so far as a team. We’re in a good place to take this challenge up in December.”

Dr. Murray reflects on the similarities between training for the Atlantic row and cancer research. Neither offers an overnight solution; both require years of effort before yielding real progress. It is a poignant comparison to the journey he is about to undertake.

“As physicians, as caregivers, we all know we have to put the work in to get the best results,” he says. “And that goes through training, our clinical work, and all the research that we do as well. But it’s such a privilege to treat patients with cancer and be involved in their journey. We see how much work they put in every day, and so if I can do anything to raise money for that cause, then I’m very pleased to do it.”