BBC News Atlantic row ‘the hardest thing I’ve ever done’ Close Johnny Ward is part of a four-man rowing team that has crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a single boat. The travel blogger is originally from Kilkeel in County Down and took on the challenge to raise awareness about mental health. The trip - dubbed The Atlantic Dash - was a 3,200 mile journey from the Canary Islands to Antigua. Johnny's crewmates were Billy Taylor, Martin Heseltine and BBC TV chef Dirty Vegan Matt Pritchard. They initially set off from Lanzarote on 6 March, but the journey had to restart from Fuerteventura a week later because of seat problems.