World Record Atantic Rower Wins Prince of Wales Award

The fourth and final Prince of Wales’s Expeditionary Award was presented in Oxford last night by HM Lord Lieutenant of Oxford Mr Tim Stevenson.

The Prince of Wales’s Expeditionary Awards highlight the very best in leadership, challenge, courage and planning. The annual awards are selected from over one hundred Cadet and Reservist expeditions supported by The Ulysses Trust, whose patron is HRH the Prince of Wales. Each recipient receives a certificate which is personally signed by HRH The Prince of Wales.

This winner of The Prince of Wales’s Commendation award was ACF Cadet Sergeant Jordan Beecher, who between 14 Dec 17 and 20 Jan 18 alongside Captain Jon Armstrong RGR rowed 2,550 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean as Row2Recovery.

The pair endured storms, physical and mental hardship and capsizing, to set a new World Record for the fastest pairs crossing of the Atlantic in a time of 37 days, 8 hours and 8 minutes*. What is even more remarkable is that LCpl Beecher is an amputee, having lost a leg during an explosion caused by an improvised explosive device whilst serving with the Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan. An ambassador for the CCF, Jordan became an instructor after being medically discharged from the Army following his injuries.His platoon commander during his tour in Afghanistan was Captain Jon Armstrong and the friendship that they have forged on operations has become even stronger after setting this World Record.

The presentation took place on Thursday 31st October 2019 at the Oxfordshire HM Lord-Lieutenant’s Award Ceremony 2019 at Pembroke College, Oxford. The event was organised by the South East Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association.

* Since the pair set the record in Jan 2018, it has since been broken. In Jan 2019, British rowers Alex Simpson and Jamie Gordon set a time of 37 days, 17 hours and 43 minutes.