A MAN has battled back from depression to take part in a record-breaking voyage on the Pacific Ocean.
Angus Collins, who comes from Burnham, and the Team Latitude 35 team smashed the world record for the fastest all-male four to row 2,400 nautical miles from San Francisco to Hawaii.
Angus, Duncan Roy, Jordan Shuttleworth and Jason Caldwell were pushed to their limits in 30ft waves, but completed the voyage in 30 days, 7 hours and 30 minutes in their boat American Spirit.
The Great Pacific Race is one of the toughest on earth.
Since its launch in 2014, only 22 teams have ever completed the challenge.
Angus, 31, is the only man to hold records in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the youngest man to have ever rowed all three oceans.
He has openly shared his own struggles with depression and being diagnosed with severe ADHD.
His journey has been brutal, but after almost taking his own life just after his 30th birthday, he has taken huge positive steps forward in his road to recovery through professional help and guidance.
Angus said: “Ocean rowing has always been my escape from the world, leaving my problems back on dry land.
“However, this time I had a purpose and a family back home, so I wanted to finish more quickly, and I wanted to win it for them too.”
Angus had hidden his illness because he was afraid of appearing weak, especially among other men in the macho environment of adventure and endurance sports.
It took girlfriend Elsa and best friend Gus to notice how physically ill he was and push him to get help.
Angus said he found an “amazing” therapist who used breathing techniques to help with panic attacks and dark moments.
“Admitting to myself just how bad things were, then having that first conversation with someone for the first time and saying out loud how ill I felt was incredibly difficult,” he said.
“And to this day I still haven’t fully admitted to even my closest family how bad it was. It’s a process which takes a lot of time.
“Men don’t like asking for help, but I have been overwhelmed with people’s response to what I’ve gone through - even the toughest men.
“I’ve had lots of men come to me to say they have dealt with this too, which goes to show there are a lot more people dealing with this than you think.”
Angus’s sister Bella Collins and the Ocean Sheroes rowers are also in the race and approaching Hawaii.
Angus and Bella grew up in a family of sailors, spending much of their holidays in Burnham.
Their grandfather was a world champion sailor on the Flying Dutchman and their uncle, Charlie Pitcher, became the fastest man to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 35 days in 2013.
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