Welcome to the Launch Event for Mick Dawson's latest book - Print Edition

Mick Dawson is a published author, speaker, former Royal Marine and a professional sailor. He is also one of the worlds most experienced and successful Ocean Rowers having rowed over 22,000 miles in an ocean rowing career which spans more than two decades. He has crossed the Atlantic Ocean twice and has undertaken four epic rows across the Pacific Ocean. In 2009 together with his friend and fellow Oarsman Chris Martin, Mick rowed the first rowing boat to cross from Japan to The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. A voyage which took the intrepid pair over six months to complete. Their remarkable record-breaking feat, one of the last great firsts, is yet to be repeated.

Mick’s first book; ‘Rowing The Pacific,’ tells the story of his two Atlantic crossings along with his adventures on the North Pacific Ocean, ultimately leading to that remarkable world first beneath the iconic span of the Golden Gate Bridge.

In Mick’s second book; ‘Never Leave A Man Behind,’ he tells the story of his adventures since that unique arrival in San Francisco. The story of the ‘Cockleshell Endeavour.’ A project he set up to help recovering veterans on their road to recovery and rehabilitation.

Mick was looking for his next challenge, it came when he was least expecting it. An unplanned visit to the Falkland Islands with another veteran of the 1982 war, led to a chance discovery. Mick’s friend had been struggling for some time with issues related to PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). He had asked for help, but the door had been closed firmly in his face by one of the charities set up specifically to support recovering veterans.

Horrified when he heard this Mick decided to set up a project to help his friend get back on track. It would become the ‘Cockleshell Endeavour.’ Mick’s latest book; ‘Never Leave A Man Behind,’ tells the story of how, from that unexpected beginning, a series of increasingly challenging expeditions were created helping a number of recovering veterans on their roads to recovery. From the Yukon to the Falkland Islands and ultimately back to the Pacific Ocean; amphibious challenges and races adapted to help veterans deal with their physical and mental health issues.

Ultimately it would see another spectacular world first as Mick rowed with Steve Sparkes, Sparky, in a race of almost 3,000 miles from California to Hawaii in 2018. Sparky was blind and became the first blind person to row the Pacific Ocean when he proudly stepped ashore in Honolulu after an incredible 82-day voyage.

Mick is continuing his work with ‘The Cockleshell Endeavour’ and, amongst other projects, is helping a four-man team of serving and former Royal Marines (Recovering Veterans) preparing to row across the Atlantic Ocean later this year.

'Breathtaking – builds tension from the very start with life and death challenges throughout. Courage and comradeship at their very best, showing how mental and physical disabilities cannot and are not allowed to define or undermine the human self. Leaves you in awe and respect for one man determined to help his muckers win their battles whatever it takes – at great personal cost.'

Jonathan Ball

Chief Executive, RMA ‑ The Royal Marines Charity

This interactive webinar will include a time with Mick Dawson being interviewed by Howard Betts.

We are also thrilled to have with us in the studio some key people involved in this venture, including

Steve Grenham, ‘Former Royal Marine Commando and Falklands Veteran Steve Grenham; who, struggling with the impact of PTSD, undertook a series of increasingly challenging Kayaking expeditions with Mick, culminating in a circumnavigation of ‘East Falkland.’
Jonathan Ball, Chief Executive of the Royal Marines Charity
Keith Breslauer, Managing Partner of Patron Capital Partners LLP and Trustee of the Royal Marines Charity.
Duncan Proudfoot, Publisher of Little Brown Books

There will also be a Q&A Session where people can put their questions to Mick.

Event host

Howard Betts is a co-founder and Director of LeadersMeets.

Howard has over 35 years’ experience in the field of leadership and organisational development having in this time worked with organisations, both in the ‘for profit’ and ‘not for profit’ sectors, nationally and globally. A past contributor to the MBA programme at the University of Exeter and a co-founder of the Centre for Leadership Studies, he was for some 14 years a key member of the faculty that created and delivered the Masters Leadership programme, the first such programme in the world.

A knowledgeable and practiced senior executive at both the strategic and operational level he has a strong track record in working closely with client organisations across a range of business sectors in developing leadership capability, collaborative skills, collaborative working cultures and work environments.

He is the senior partner of Executive Development.

Email: [email protected]

www.execdevelop.com