72-year-old British man becomes oldest person to row solo across the Atlantic

A lot changed in the world while Graham Walters was at sea.

The 72-year-old British rower set off from the Spanish island of Gran Canaria on Jan. 25, bound for Antigua. It was his fifth time rowing across the Atlantic, and the third time by himself. His goal was to break a few world records, and on Wednesday, after 96 days and about 3,000 miles of rowing, he was successful.

The Ocean Rowing Society, the official Guinness World Records adjudicators for rowing, declared that he is now the oldest person to row across the Atlantic Ocean solo, the oldest person to row across any ocean solo, and the oldest person to row an ocean more than once.

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There was some drama at the last minute, when Walters was blown off course about six miles from the Antiguan shore. He received assistance from the coast guard, but was still able to secure his world records. Walters told The Guardian it feels "fantastic" to have have made the journey, which raised more than $3,700 for wounded veterans, but acknowledged it's hard to fully comprehend how different things are because of the coronavirus pandemic. "It's like I have been in a bubble and have now woken up in an alternative universe," he said.