Ex-Saints TE Jimmy Graham to Row in Arctic Challenge Endurance Event

The challenge will take at least 10 days, as the former New Orleans Saints tight end and his teammates row 1,000 kilometers across the open ocean.

Former New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham took to social media Monday to announce he intends to compete in an endurance event known as The Arctic Challenge. In July 2025, a four-person team will row 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) across the Arctic Ocean in pursuit of several world records. 

“The impact of The Arctic Challenge goes far beyond the 4 athletes and the Arctic Ocean,” Graham wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “With the mission to inspire young minds, the team aims to challenge the next generation to push beyond their limiting beliefs and chart their own course.”

The team will start its journey in Tromsø, Norway, and will row 1,000 kilometers across the open Arctic Ocean, landing in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, according to the challenge’s website. The rowers will train for 18 months beforehand, and the journey likely will take between 10 and 20 days. 

Arctic Challenge:The impact of The Arctic Challenge goes far beyond the 4 athletes and the Arctic Ocean. With the mission to inspire young minds,the team aims to challenge the next generation to push beyond their limiting beliefs and chart their own course https://t.co/eHykb9wqcQ

— Jimmy Graham (@TheJimmyGraham) February 19, 2024

The team will row in a nine-meter ocean rowing boat, alternating two-hour shifts, 24 hours a day. The members will bring all supplies on board, rowing completely unsupported. The team includes Graham, captain Andrew Tropp, project manager Hannah Huppi and equipment manager John Huppi. 

If completed, it would mark the first time an all-American group has completed the challenge. Graham can become the first Black person to row a polar ocean, and Hannah Huppi can become the first woman to row the Arctic Ocean. 

The group’s goal is to break the current record of 15 days, five hours and 32 minutes.