Jimmy Graham, rowing team set new Arctic Ocean speed record with 10-day journey
Former NFL tight end Jimmy Graham and three other members of a rowing team completed the Arctic Challenge, travelling 584 nautical miles in 10 days. The team broke the world record, which was 15 days, five hours and 32 minutes.
Graham completed the journey with Andrew Tropp, Hannah Huppi and John Huppi. They became the first mixed-gender team of four to row across the Arctic Ocean, as well as being the first all-American team to row across a polar ocean. Jimmy Graham became the first Black person to row a polar ocean, while Hannah Huppi became the first American woman to row a polar ocean.
The team began their journey at Tromsø, Norway, on July 4 and ended in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, on July 14. The team trained for 18 months and celebrated the accomplishment by eating pizza at a local restaurant.
More on Jimmy Graham and his rowing accomplishment
The team did this to help raise money for Covenant House New Orleans and Laureus Sport for Good New Orleans with a goal to raise $1 million. “Just wanted to remind everybody why we are out here and to go on the map and donate what you can for the kids,” Graham said during the third day of the journey. “The reason why we are sitting here, suffering so much is to bring opportunities to others so we appreciate the support.”
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Graham was the lead navigator during the trip. That’s not a big surprise since he loves cycling and owns 10 different aviation licenses. The 38-year-old is keeping himself busy since he’s not with an NFL team and has not played football since the end of the 2023 season.
The New Orleans Saints selected Graham in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was there for five seasons and was named to the Pro Bowl three times and the All-Pro Team twice. Graham then spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears before returning to the Saints in 2023. After his first run in New Orleans, Graham made the Pro Bowl with the Seahawks in 2016 and 2017.