A 24 hour rowing challenge, in support of Mountbatten Isle of Wight, smashed a world record and pushed Islander Max Fallone to the edge of his endurance.

From 22 to 23 August, 2025, Max clocked up an astounding 288,055 metres  on an indoor rowing machine, while raising money for end-of-life care.

He burned 17,000 calories and has so far raised an amazing £4,891.13.

"I am really happy with that," he said. "A world rowing record is cool, but that's for me. The money is for other people and my goal was £300!"

Max's challenge saw him row non-stop for four hours, before he earned a fifteen-minute rest. 

"During my rests, I was laying on the floor being spoon-fed rice with soy sauce and getting massaged," he laughed. "When I needed a boost while rowing, my girlfriend put a melted ice lolly on a spoon. I sipped from it when I rowed forward."

---

Rations of rice cakes and pretzels, as well as peanut butter and jam sandwiches, featured on a nutritional support plan mapped out by Max’s friend — a high-level endurance sport nutritionist.  

"When I needed a boost, I swapped out the rice cakes for Haribo, jelly babies and brownies," Max admits.

For days after his incredible achievement, Max could not close his right hand properly, nor touch his toes.

He said: "Holding a spoon hurt — that was strange!" 

Max credits the support of family and friends, plus music and football, for getting him through his challenge.

"Curry's lent me a TV and Chelsea was playing, so I watched the footy. We won 5-1! I watched some films too - Wallace and Gromit. Everything was hurting, so I didn't want to watch anything hardcore!," he laughed.

"I thought, 'All I have to do for the next day is sit and row', so I shut my eyes, said a little prayer and got on with it. Watching the sun go down was strange but watching it come up was great."

Max rowed from midday to midday and said the hardest stretch was midnight to 4am.

"I was behind pace by about half an hour, so I had to row even more quickly. It was rough. I needed carbs, water and electrolytes. Whoever was with me would break stuff up into bits, so I could eat it and row one-handed." 

The challenge took place at Marine Fit gym, on Newport's Riverway. Mountbatten Isle of Wight is the business's chosen charity and Max says his own family and friends, as well as those of gym members, have experience of the hospice charity's expert 24/7 care.

Breaking the world record has not really sunk in yet, but Max smashed it with time to spare and he had actually only set out to take the British record. 

"I matched the world record with an hour and twenty minutes to go," he said. 

"After that, the hard bit was getting back on to row for the last hour. I gave myself a longer rest, rowed for half an hour and went eight thousand kilometres over the record!"