Charlie Martell

Lieutenant Charles Edward Martell FRGS (24 November 1970 - 20?? ), is an English Ocean rower, Adventurer, Dedicated Humanitarian worker, and downright Excellent cook who is currently residing in Gloucestershire.

Martell attended Cheltenham College and Gordonstoun, before joining the British Army and serving in the Royal Engineers. He successfully completed the Royal Marines All Arms Commando Course, after which he first saw active service in the Persian Gulf during the first Gulf War. At the end of the war, he participated in Operation Safe Haven, one of the UK's first military-humanitarian efforts. Later tours included deployment to Bosnia and Northern Ireland.

Having trained as an Army bomb-disposal expert, Martell combined this with his interest in humanitarian efforts to start work with the British-based mine-clearance charity the HALO Trust. His postings have included Cambodia, Angola and the Republic of Georgia. He now specialises in helping communities affected by explosive remnants of war. In January 2011 he was awarded an MA in Post-Conflict Resolution, from the University of York, following work in Afghanistan and with the United Nations in Nepal. He is now a Captain in the Army Reserve (formerly the Territorial Army).

Martell's first major expedition was as a member of the three-man team 'Commando Joe', who took part in the 2005 Polar Challenge ski-race to the North Pole, finishing the 320-mile journey in a time of 9 days, 3 hours and 17 minutes. The following year he recruited three further Commandos to join him in rowing the North Atlantic Ocean between New York and Mevagissey, Cornwall, UK, in the boat Mount Spirit. The journey took 85 days and the team earned two Guinness World Records on completion. Together the two challenges raised more than £250,000 for the Meningitis Trust.

On 4 May 2012 Martell departed Choshi, Japan, in his boat Blossom. He intends to row across the North Pacific Ocean to San Francisco, USA, to become the first person to make the crossing alone and wholly unsupported. He has dedicated the funds raised from sponsorship to three charities: Give Them A Sporting Chance and Toe in the Water, based in the UK, and the US charity Operation Second Chance.