Cameron Bellamy is an endurance athlete, who specialises in long-distance rowing and swimming. In 2014 he, along with 3 other athletes, rowed across the Indian Ocean breaking the previous record by 10 days. In 2018 Cameron swam 96km around the island of Barbados, which was followed by a 150km swim from Barbados to St Lucia a year later. 

These feats of physical endurance and mental perseverance are for one goal; the Ubenye Challenge. The Ubenye Challenge looks to help create sustainable schools in the eastern cape by arming members of the community with knowledge on how to teach, as well as providing facilities.

Cameron’s most recent adventure would sound absolutely crazy to the average person, however, himself and 5 other like-minded individuals decided it would be a good idea to cross the Drake Passage in a rowboat. Drake Passage is considered to be the most dangerous stretch of water in the world. It is located between the Southernmost tip of South America and Antarctica, where the Atlantic and Pacific meet. 600 miles of 50-foot waves, hurricanes and freezing conditions. This would be the first unassisted rowboat crossing of the passage, ever attempted. 

Cam sat down with the ODU to give an informal look into what makes him tick, with a focus on the Drake Passage. From starting out in Rhodes, riding his bike across Asia to defeating the passage, Cameron truly is something to admire. Scroll down for timestamping of certain topics.