Olympic rower Alex Gregory trains Atlantic bid amateurs

Nick Rees and Ed Curtis will depart on their 3,000-mile Atlantic trip from the Canary Islands on 2 Dec

Olympic gold medallist Alex Gregory is helping to train two amateur rowers in their bid to cross the Atlantic.

Nick Rees from Rowledge in Surrey and Ed Curtis from Anglesey will start their journey in December.

The friends, who are both 37, are hoping to raise £250,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Gregory, who won gold in the men's coxless four at London 2012, will train the men at Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

The pair will depart on their 3,000-mile Atlantic trip from the Canary Islands on 2 Dec and are expected to arrive in Antigua at the end of January.

Mr Rees, whose 37-year-old wife Ellen was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, said during the trip he and Mr Curtis would row their 24ft (7m)-long boat 24 hours a day - taking it in turns to row two hours on, and two off.

The men will train with Gregory at the Leander Club and are also hoping to row around Anglesey in July.