The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Five men in A boat row the Atlantic
Tough get going after devastating diagnosis rocked Mckinney family
Ross and Catherine Mckinney were devastated when daughter Eliza was diagnosed with Rett syndrome at the age of three.
Eliza developed normally as a baby but her progress began to regress at around 18 months.
When it was confirmed their precious little girl was facing a lifetime of struggles, as the disorder robs her of a normal day-to-day life most people take for granted, it could have shattered the Mckinneys.
Instead, it has given them a resolve to help find a cure for Rett for their daughter – and all the other children who suffer from it.
Ross became an ambassador for the Reverse Rett charity, and Catherine a trustee.
Five In A Row’s Atlantic escapade is just the latest in a long line of charity drives the couple and their children have undertaken to raise vital funds to research the rare and all-too-often overlooked syndrome.
Describing his 10-year-old daughter as “the bravest person I know”, proud dad Ross said he is amazed at how Eliza “just bounces back” from health scares and setbacks, including recently spending five weeks in intensive care with breathing difficulties.
She attends the additional support needs Hub at Sanderson’s Wynd Primary in Tranent, around 15 miles from the family home in North Berwick.
Before Covid hit she was spending a half-day at her local primary but strict rules around class bubbles meant that arrangement had to be sidelined.
Ross hopes it’s something that can be reinstated when the pandemic dies down, adding: “It’s so good for Eliza to interact and mix with other children from the local community.”
The Reverse Rett charity is something Ross is clearly passionate about.
He said: “It’s a small charity, it doesn’t really have access to big corporate finance and sponsorship.
“That’s why doing things like the Atlantic Challenge are vital to help fund research.”
Ross said Reverse Rett may soon begin clinical human trials.
“Whether that’s a cure, or alleviating symptoms... either way, it could be life-changing,” he added.
Reverse Rett co-founder Andy Stevenson is awestruck by the Mckinneys’ dedication to their daughter and the charity – and urged the public to donate to Five In A Row’s cause.
He said: “We were all blown away when we heard that Ross was going to be part of the Five In A Row team rowing the Atlantic.”
Go to reverserett.org.uk
Adevoted Mearns dad set off on “the world’s toughest row” on Saturday in a bid to help find a cure for a rare illness that affects his daughter.
Ross Mckinney, who was brought up in Fettercairn, is taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge along with four friends in an epic fundraising push for the Reverse Rett charity.
His daughter Eliza, 10, has Rett syndrome, a post-natal neurological disorder.
The condition strikes previously healthy children, mainly girls, between the ages of one and three years old and takes away their ability to walk, talk, use their hands and even breathe normally.
Ross, 44, a former Fettercairn Primary and Mearns Academy pupil who now lives in North Berwick, will spend the next six weeks rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Nelson’s Dockyard English Harbour in Antigua to help fund research into Rett.
Supporting the Caley Water director as part of the Five In A Row crew are Duncan Hughes, who works for Inverkeithing-based cargo shipping firm Forth Bridge Stevedoring, and Fraser Potter, 33, a former professional polo player and new owner of The Taybank pub in his native Dunkeld.
Completing the North Berwick Rowing Club-affiliated quintet are double world champions Ian Baird, 39, a graphic designer and bit-part actor who has been in some of the world’s biggest TV shows, and Clive Rooney, 41, a project manager who originally hails from Downpatrick in Northern Ireland.
So how did they end up taking this potentially perilous charity challenge that sees competitors suffer from sleep deprivation and extreme exhaustion as they face everything the Atlantic can throw at them?
Basically, a Fife company director, a polo-playing Perthshire hotelier and an East Lothian Game of Thrones and Outlander extra walk into a bar...
Speaking to The Courier from La Gomera before the crew set off, dad-of-four Ross explained: “Duncan, Fraser and Ian were in a pub in Edinburgh in early 2020 and were watching the Maclean brothers (Jamie, Ewan and Lachlan) set a new world record for the Atlantic crossing by a trio on TV.
“The Atlantic Challenge had always been on Duncan’s radar, so they decided to sign up for the 2021 event on the spot, as you do. They even paid the deposit while in the pub.”
When married dad-of-three Clive found out about their plans, he was immediately on board.
The crew were keen to add a charity element to the challenge and there was only one choice to complete the fabulous five: coastal rower and Reverse Rett ambassador Ross.
Duncan, 40, who lives in North Berwick with wife Hannah and their three children, said: “Reverse Rett is a cause close to my family. I’ve known Eliza, who is the same age as my twins, her whole life and to see her struggle so much while her peers go on to
develop through all the other stages of childhood has been heart-breaking to watch.”
But before Ross could sign up to take on the Atlantic, there were still
potentially choppy waters to navigate at home – namely, committing to two months off work and leaving his family behind for such a long period. He needn’t have worried as he has a “very understanding” wife in Catherine, 46.
Ross said: “When I spoke with Catherine about doing this she was hugely supportive. She said ‘you’ve really got to do it. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime’.”
For the past year, Five In A Row have been training hard. Little wonder. For six weeks and 3,000 miles they will row 24 hours a day non-stop in two-hour on-off shifts, living together on their 28ft boat.
Ross reckons being such a tight-knit group of pals will be a “huge advantage” on the ocean expanse.
The crew will even share a toilet – a bucket dubbed “The Jobby Wheecher” in reference to a classic Sir Billy Connolly routine.
The crew have spent the past fortnight in La Gomera readying themselves and their boat, along with the 35 other teams taking part.
Five In A Row have taken more than 1,100 meals with them – including a Christmas cake baked by Duncan’s mum Wendy.
Ross admitted not spending the festive season with Catherine, Eliza and his other three children – Angus, 12, Nina, 8, and Felix, 5 – will be tough.
Ross said: “It’s the same for all the crew, leaving our families behind.”
But no matter how hard things get on the ocean waves, Ross will never have to look far for inspiration.
He said: “When I’m having a bad day on the Atlantic, it’s temporary.
“It’s nothing compared to what Eliza faces day-in, day-out – so, yes, she will spur me and the crew on.”
Donate at justgiving.com/ fundraising/ross-mckinney6
You can follow the crew’s progress on their Facebook and Instagram pages or at taliskerwhiskyatlantic challenge.com