ST. VINCENT TIMES: AMERICAN ROWER PAYS HOMAGE DURING NETHERLANDS SLAVERY MEMORIAL YEAR, ON ST MAARTEN
Victor Mooney, a Queens, New York resident, recently completed a 14-day visit to the Caribbean, which took him to St Maarten, St Martin, Anguilla, and St Barthélemy. He is renowned for becoming the first African American to row across the Atlantic Ocean, accomplishing this remarkable feat on his fourth attempt. Mooney retraced the transatlantic slave routes of his ancestors.
In 2014, Mooney undertook a 129-day rowing expedition from the Canary Islands to Marigot, St. Martin. During this challenging journey, he faced various hardships, including significant weight loss and damage to his boat, the “Spirit of Malabo.” Repair work for the hull damage was carried out in Coles Bay on the Dutch side of the island. However, despite these adversities, he successfully reached New York’s Brooklyn Bridge on November 29, 2015.
One of Mooney’s primary missions was to promote voluntary HIV testing in memory of his brother, who had lost his life to AIDS. During his visit to Sint Maarten, he paid his respects at the Freedom Fighter monument and left a note at the Governor’s Office.
More about Victor Mooney’s rowing journey
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