Jamie Sparks is the world’s youngest double ocean rower, a 6x world record holder and anthropologist.
Jamie set out to row 2,800 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in December 2013. The expedition raised over £315,000 for charity and won the team JUSTGIVING’S 2014 Endurance Fundraiser of the year award.
Just 3 months later Jamie organised and captained a four-man expedition to row the infamous and isolated Indian Ocean, a huge distance of 3,500 miles starting from the desolate West Australian town of Exmouth, 1000 miles north of Perth.
Jamie is keen to tie in the adventure world with anthropology and is currently planning a trek of the world’s 3rd longest river – The Yangtze. With wild and isolated populations, indigenous wild life and 4000 miles of trekking and pack rafting, this expedition has it all.
Having travelled extensively, spending time in Africa, Asia and Australia, Jamie’s love of the wild no doubt stemmed from his Grandfather who worked as a doctor in various countries such as Uganda, Nigeria, the Yemen and Saudi Arabia. He was also the private physician to the dictator and General Idi Amin.
Jamie has a very keen interest in people and helping those less fortunate. In 2010 he conducted charity work in the rural town of Bo, Sierra Leone, where he worked with young street children many of whom were orphans.
Jamie currently lives in London and Bristol where he continues his studies at Bristol University. He is a keen motorcyclist and rides a 1200 BMW BIG boy toy.
In this episode, Jamie talks to me about his experience of being the youngest double-ocean rower to row the Atlantic with his friend Luke Birch in just 54 days, raising over £300k for charity, and his latest endeavours including his appearance in SAS Hell Week’
