HORRABRIDGE’S Lee Spencer has made history as part of the first all amputee team to row 3,000 miles unaided across the Atlantic Ocean.

The Row2Recovery team spent 46 days at sea and finished eighth out of a fleet of 26 in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. They rowed into the harbour at Antigua to rapturous celebrations last Thursday afternoon (February 4).

Speaking to the Times, Lee said: ‘It was very tough, obviously very physically demanding but also mentally demanding too. At times it was scary, us in such a tiny boat and then you’d be on the sea, sometimes there’d be a 40 foot swell. Mentally it was very tough.

‘You can prepare body and mind as much as you can but it only gets you so ready. With two hours on, two hours off, you only ever got an hour and a half of sleep at most by the time you’d administered yourself, tended to your sores and washed yourself off. You would put your head down, close your eyes and then in no time, there would be banging on the cabin and you’d have ten minutes to get ready and get back to it.

‘Rowing into harbour was probably one of the weirdest feelings I’ve ever had. It was a lot of sensory overload because you’ve had nothing but blue sky and blue sea to look at for days. The most exciting thing you might see would be a bit of rubbish or a bottle floating past! So seeing and hearing everyone, all the noise and colours, it was a lot to take on.

‘It’s strange because being a Royal Marine for 24 years I am used to long periods away from home but leaving my family was completely different this time around. I suppose I had so much time to contemplate things that it added to that overwhelming relief and bewilderment when we arrived home. There were so many people there waiting for us, it was incredible.’

Upon reaching land the team were flooded with messages of congratulations on social media, including one from Kensington Palace which congratulated the team on their ‘record-breaking achievement’. TV presenter Ben Fogle, who rowed the Atlantic in 2005, also praised the team on Twitter.

Lee said: ‘We’ve been amazed by all the support we’ve had. We couldn’t prepare ourselves for that. The support has been humbling; it is unbelievable. We are looking forward to seeing everyone back in Devon when we get back on Saturday morning.’

The team set off on December 20 to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean unaided in just a rowing boat as part of the challenge to raise awareness of life beyond injury for injured service men and women and to set a new world record for the first all amputee team to row an ocean.

During the row the team had to struggle against storms, injuries, a prosthetic leg being broken and sea sickness.

Lee lost his right leg in January 2014 after he was hit by flying debris when he stopped to help the victims of an accident on the M3.

As he aided those involved in the first accident, a second car smashed into the crashed BMW. The BMW’s engine was ripped out and flew across the carriageway, hitting Lee and knocking him over the crash barrier on the grass verge.

Following his accident Lee spent several weeks in Headley Court, a rehabilitation centre for injured members of the British Armed Forces. In the bed opposite Lee was Light Dragoon Lance Corporal Cayle Royce from Dartmouth. Royce told Lee about his participation in the 3,000 mile race in 2013 and the idea stuck with Lee about rowing the Atlantic.

He was joined on the challenge by Lance Corporal Royce, former Irish Guardsman Paddy Gallagher, who lost his right leg below the knee in an IED blast in Afghanistan in 2009 and former RAF Flight Sergeant parachute jump instructor Nigel Rogoff, who lost his leg above the knee while taking part in an RAF parachuting display.

The team completed the challenge to raise money for Help for Heroes, Blesma, Prince Harry’s Endeavour Fund and Row2Recovery.

To find out more visit www.row 2recovery.com

Lee is planning to have a sponsored beard shave and party at the London Inn in Horrabridge on Saturday, February 20.