Three seafarers under mandatory quarantine have used their time to do a charity challenge
of 200 miles in 10 days – all in just the small space of their hotel bedrooms.
Capt. Steve Tindale, Tommy Weir and James Pine, who all work for Swire Pacific Offshore
(SPO), are currently confined to their rooms in Equatorial Guinea on a mandatory quarantine
period prior to joining their ships.
Rather than being restricted by their environments, the three dreamed big and took on the
challenge to raise funds to be split equally between international maritime welfare charity
Sailors’ Society, Sailors’ Children’s Society and Become.
Capt. Steve said: “We were due to do a charity bike ride which was unfortunately cancelled
because of the pandemic. We still wanted to do something, so came up with the idea of the
run. Certainly a bit more difficult when you are confined to a hotel bedroom!
“Being seafarers we wanted to support Sailors’ Society and all they do to help crews through
their wellness and mental health work. SPO has made Sailors’ Society’s Wellness at Sea
programme available to us all and we’ve found it really helpful.”
The trio created ‘running tracks’ by pushing furniture to the edges of their rooms and ran an
incredible 5,600 laps each to complete their challenge.
Steve continued: “It was tough, but the challenge got a little bit easier each day and we
changed direction frequently to keep the dizziness down. We’ve kept each other’s spirits up
with socially distanced meals between balconies, WhatsApp group chats, and a daily
quarantine quiz!”
Melanie Warman, Sailors’ Society’s Director of Advocacy, said: “It’s wonderful that Steve,
Tommy and James wanted to help their fellow seafarers. We are in absolute awe of them for
doing this and honoured that Sailors’ Society has been chosen as one of the beneficiaries.
“We’re providing support to seafarers and their families across the world, many of whom
have been impacted by COVID-19 and are under huge mental strain. This contribution
towards our vital work is very gratefully received.”
To donate towards Steve, Tommy and James’ efforts go to:
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/LockedDowninEG
To find out more about Sailors’ Society’s work go to: www.sailors-
society.org/coronavirusappeal