Founder Jamie Douglas-Hamilton Completes Audacious Rowing Expedition

In August of 2022, Actiph Founder Jamie Douglas-Hamilton underwent major surgery to repair a leaking valve in his heart – an issue caused by a genetic condition that only came to light following Jamie’s struggles to recover from COVID-19.

Less than 5 months later, Jamie was on a plane to Ushuaia, ready to embark on his third ocean rowing adventure. The plan – to recreate Shackleton’s famous voyage from Antarctica to South Georgia – was imbued with challenges and peril, especially for someone recently recovered from open heart surgery.

The resulting intrigue earned Jamie (and Actiph) widespread media coverage, including live TV interviews on BBC Breakfast and Channel 5 News.

See the full story here: https://vimeo.com/787562670

The crew began their expedition on January 11th, making good progress in spite of ferocious conditions. As the journey progressed however, conditions continued to deteriorate, as did the health of the crew. 2 of the 6 person crew began to suffer from frostbite – their protective clothing still not enough to shield them from the bitter wind chill and freezing ocean water – and, eventually, the expedition’s first mate succumbed to acute sea sickness, resulting in him having to be extracted by the support boat.

With one crew member down and a storm front heading their way, they took the decision to cut the voyage short in the interest of safety, instead rowing the remaining 150 miles or so to the South Orkney Islands – a journey of 450 miles in total.

Whilst it wasn’t the expedition they had planned, their extraordinary endurance and tenacity still earned them 6 Guinness World Records, taking Jamie’s personal tally to a staggering 13. Furthermore, Jamie’s remarkable resilience, in the face of enormous adversity, epitomises the Actiph brand’s values, encouraging and enabling everyone to lead a healthy, fulfilling life and achieve more than they ever thought possible.