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Alex Hinton, 31
He has great faith in the strength and ability of the members of the Breaking Trail team and is looking forward to taking on the Polar Challenge 2006 with them. Jeremy Hinton, 25
Whilst working for Challenge Business he got the opportunity to work on the support boat on the 2003/4 Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Barbados. In the course of the event one of the French team dropped out and he stepped in to start the race with no training, a week behind the last boat, completing the trip in 87 days and, at the time, as the youngest person to row this route. On top of this he has also completed three London Marathons, a sprint triathlon and a bike marathon. He is currently training with the Breaking Trail team for the London Triathlon, and the Polar Challenge 2006. Andrew Vinsen, 26
His interest in the Polar Challenge began just before he left La Gomera in the Canary Islands for Barbados, as part of a two-man crew in the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race 2003. The crew finished in fifty-five days, as the first British crew, gaining fourth place overall. He spent a year in Denmark as part of his degree, including a week on skis in northern Norway and a week’s cycling tour of Sweden. It was here that he discovered a fondness for being outdoors. He travels back regularly to visit friends. He is a member of the MCC and of the Association of Cricket Coaches, and also enjoys cycling, rugby, watching music videos and good food. | ||
Alex enjoys a wide variety of sport including sailing, windsurfing, cycling, climbing, snowboarding and rugby. In 2000 he spent a year in Australia competing in inshore and offshore yacht racing events. Since then he has raced dinghies and yachts in England, the US, Italy, France and Ireland. During this time he has also enjoyed competing in marathons, triathlons, adventure races and other endurance events. His first taste of an adventure of this kind came in 2001 when he took part in the Atlantic Rowing Race from Tenerife to Barbados. He found the experience of bringing together the different aspects of this kind of event both rewarding and addictive. 
A keen sailor, Jeremy has competed at school level as captain of both junior and senior school teams, in national events in both Toppers and Laser II's, and for the Navy in the Tri Services Regatta (RS 400). After finishing a degree in Economics at Bristol, he made a 1700 mile crossing of Tanzania and Malawi by bicycle. This was done self-contained, in a group of 4 (camping, using bore hole water, etc...). After completing this he worked on a ski season in France as a guide and came back to work for Challenge Business in Southampton, training crew members on the 72ft round-the-world yachts that set off for the race in September 2004. 
Andrew has always enjoyed competitive sports, as a member of the cricket 1st XI and captain of the football 2nd XI at school. He spent six months teaching physical education in a school in South Africa, where he also played cricket and travelled during a Gap year. He then spent some time in Australia, before going back to the UK, and university at UEA in Norwich. He took a degree in Linguistics and Danish, and among other things learnt to row there. He was Captain of Boats for a season, rowing at Henley Royal Regatta. He is currently a member of Norwich Rowing Club, and is in training for his second London Triathlon in August. He has recently completed a sprint triathlon in preparation. 
