Walter Finch
GIBRALTAR is set to be the final destination for a record-breaking paddleboarder’s ambitious 4,000km Mediterranean crossing as he continues his remarkable journey from prison to adventurer.
David Haze, from Bournemouth, will attempt to traverse the Mediterranean Sea solo and unsupported from Turkey to the Rock this August, in what he describes as ‘an epic challenge’.
The former city trader, who has turned his life around after serving time in prison, plans to follow the coastlines of Turkey, Italy, and Morocco before reaching Gibraltar in a journey expected to take up to 120 days.
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“I’ll be breaking it into six-day stints – five days paddling and wild camping followed by a rest day,” Haze told the BBC. “With these sort of challenges there is going to be a lot going on, particularly with the weather conditions.”
The ambitious crossing will add to Haze’s impressive collection of paddleboarding achievements, which already includes multiple world records such as a 24-hour paddle around Poole Harbour and a five-day circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight.
His incredible transformation began in 2020 after enrolling in a prison reform programme following a period of drug use and crime that began when he lost his job in the financial sector.
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The Mediterranean challenge will raise funds for three charities: Dorset Mind, The Alliance of Sport – which helps rehabilitate former prisoners through sport – and The Adventure Therapy Company, which provides free outdoor activities for people with health limitations.
While the Rock has seen its fair share of extraordinary sporting challenges, this 2,485-mile paddleboarding feat would mark one of the most ambitious attempts to reach Gibraltar’s shores.
