We are Call of the Heron: an Anglo-Belgian duo with salt in our blood and a very stubborn streak. In December 2026, we will attempt to row from Tenerife to Martinique — 2,800 miles of open ocean in a 8.3 metre boat, with no engine, no sail, and no support. Just two sets of oars, solar panels, and a lot of very dehydrated food.
Our team name comes from a grey heron that we often see during our training rows on the canal. Its sudden, unmistakable cry feels like a challenge — a call to go further, to do something bigger, to honour the wild urge to test your limits. For us, that call became an ocean crossing.
Meet the Team
Kimberley Hansford
Kimberley is a British scientist and endurance athlete based in Brussels. She holds a PhD in biotechnology, manages chronic illness with quiet precision, and has a long track record of doing ridiculous things simply because they are hard. She’s completed a full Ironman, multiple marathons, and swims year-round in open water. Her rowing experience includes river and coastal rowing in the UK and Belgium. During the crossing, she will be using real-time glucose monitors to track how type 1 diabetes behaves under extreme conditions — a data set rarely captured and potentially valuable to the broader scientific community.
Lieven Cornelis
Lieven is a Belgian adventurer and rower based in Brussels. With a background in photography and visual storytelling, Lieven brings both grit and creativity to the team. He’s the sort of person who will row through the night and still crack a joke before sunrise. His role in this project includes documenting the build-up, maintaining the boat’s systems, and making sure neither rower forgets to eat. He’s also the one most likely to spot dolphins.
Together, we are a team that blends data and absurdity, discipline and improvisation, spreadsheets and duct tape. We believe in doing things that scare us, and in documenting them honestly.
This is not just a sporting challenge. It’s a leap into uncertainty, a test of resilience, and a reminder that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they decide to try.