Former FLTA Chairman swaps fork lift trucks for a 3,000-mile Atlantic rowing challenge
Former Fork Lift Truck Association Chairman, Duncan Nealon is preparing to exchange lift trucks and warehouses for ocean swells as he takes on the World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic, alongside his close friend, and former rugby teammate, Daz Ariss.
Competing as Claverdon Lions, the pair will leave San Sebastián de La Gomera in the Canary Islands on 12 December 2026 and row more than 3,000 miles unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean to English Harbour in Antigua.
The crossing is expected to take between 40 and 60 days, and see the pair compete against approximately 50 other teams. Duncan and Daz will row around the clock, alternating shifts through daylight and darkness while contending with sleep deprivation, equipment failures, salt sores, extreme weather and everything else the Atlantic can throw at them.
For Duncan, the challenge represents a new chapter following a career deeply rooted in the UK forklift truck industry.
He began working at Kenilworth-based Bendigo Mitchell in the mid-1990s, initially cleaning forklift trucks before progressing to the service desk. After gaining international experience with Neuwerth & Cie in Switzerland and subsequently building a career in research and marketing, he returned to Bendigo Mitchell in 2009 and became Managing Director the following year.
Duncan later served as Vice Chairman and then Chairman of the Fork Lift Truck Association, prior to the merger with BITA to form today’s UK Material Handling Association.
In 2017, he oversaw the sale of Bendigo Mitchell to Impact Handling. He is now CEO of UK-based marketing insight agency Sparkminds®, which is also the lead sponsor of the Claverdon Lions campaign.
Duncan said:
“The materials-handling industry was a huge part of my life for many years. I remember first sitting in a Lansing Bagnall Toer 10 when I was about 6 years old. You probably wouldn’t do that now, but it was the 80s! Eventually I had the privilege of leading Bendigo Mitchell and serving as Chairman of the FLTA. I made some great friends across the sector, so it feels entirely appropriate to share this next adventure with the industry that gave me so much.
Daz and I are two long-retired amateur rugby mates rather than experienced ocean rowers. We know this will take us to our physical and mental limits, but that is precisely why we wanted to do it.
There are some similarities with running a materials-handling business: preparation matters, preventative maintenance is preferable to an emergency repair, and when an essential piece of equipment stops working, you cannot simply hope the problem will go away. The slight difference is that our nearest engineer will be several hundred miles away.”
Duncan and Daz first met through Claverdon Rugby Club in Warwickshire. Their friendship and shared rugby background inspired the name Claverdon Lions and their decision to support LooseHeadz, rugby’s mental health charity.
LooseHeadz uses the power and community of rugby to encourage conversations about mental health, tackle stigma and provide clubs with practical resources and support. Its long-term mission is to place a mental health champion at every rugby club around the world.
Duncan added:
“Rugby has always been about looking after the person beside you, both on and off the pitch. LooseHeadz is taking that principle and turning it into practical, potentially life-saving support.
Mental health is every bit as relevant in materials handling as it is in rugby. The industry is full of people working under pressure: engineers on the road, managers keeping operations moving, business owners carrying responsibility for their teams and operators working in demanding environments. Too often, people simply put their heads down and carry on.
We want this row to help start more honest conversations and remind people that checking in on a colleague or a mate can make a genuine difference.”
Preparation for the challenge has already taken several years. The crew has completed mandatory courses, extensive physical training and a continuous 63-hour sea row. Their specialist ocean rowing boat, Jack Keane, has also passed its pre-shipping inspection ahead of being transported to the Canary Islands.
During the crossing, the pair expect to complete approximately 1.5 million oar strokes. They will generate their own power via solar panels, desalinate seawater for drinking and carry all their food, equipment and waste aboard the boat.
Claverdon Lions is now inviting businesses and individuals from across the materials-handling sector to support the campaign, follow the team’s progress and donate to LooseHeadz.
Duncan said:
“I would love the UK materials-handling community to come on board with us. We may not be able to offer anyone a seat – the boat is quite small and Daz already has the other one – but every donation, message and share will help us raise awareness and vital funds for LooseHeadz.
After all those years helping customers move loads efficiently, this time we’ll be trying to move ourselves – and about three quarters of a tonne of boat – across an entire ocean, as efficiently as possible.”
To follow the Claverdon Lions campaign or donate to LooseHeadz, visit:
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