Father and son team, Phil and Will Churchill, sponsored by Trowers & Hamlins, have completed their odyssey through the Americas, with an epic 5,000 mile leg from Lima, Peru to their ‘End of the Americas” in Punta Arenas, in support of suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably.
The Vantage World Tour has now driven more than 16,000 miles across 14 countries since leaving London in February 2023. The father and son duo have now raised £28,000, surpassing their original target of £24,901 – £1 for every mile of the equator, all in support of the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (“CALM”), which fights suicide, the largest killer of men under 50 in the UK.
Their route took them into northern Chile, before turning east and crossing the Atacama Desert, the driest non-polar desert in the world. With their trusty Aston Martin still going strong they then tackled the greatest challenge of the adventure so far, crossing the Andes. Reaching a height of 4,800 metres / 15,800 feet / three miles high and with lips starting to tingle from a lack of oxygen, they then descended into Argentina.
Stopping to visit the Juan Manuel Fangio Museum to the south of Buenos Aires, their route then followed the Atlantic coast of Argentina down to Tierra del Fuego, the Land of Fire. However, ice was the issue they faced, with the southern hemisphere winter halting their journey south just 130 miles from Ushuaia.
Crossing back into Chile, their final stop in the Americas was Punta Arenas, the Chilean gateway port to Antarctica.
The journey has also shown the value of Trowers & Hamlins’ partnership with Interlaw, a global network of independent law firms. On more than one occasion the Churchills were able to draw on local Interlaw support when challenges arose, underlining the strength of the firm’s international connections and ability to link clients with trusted advisers wherever they may be.
The next leg of the Vantage World Tour will start in New Zealand at the end of the year.
Philip Churchill, Managing Partner at real estate investment manager, 90 North, commented:
“I’m not sure that William realised just how integral he, Trowers and the Interlaw network were going to be to the Vantage World Tour when Trowers & Hamlins became a sponsor. The legal and logistical support that my son and I have received on our travels has been invaluable, helping us out of some tricky situations. Our heartfelt thanks for your support.”
William Clements, Real Estate Partner at Trowers & Hamlins, added:
"We are incredibly proud to have supported Phil and Will on their extraordinary journey and delighted that they have surpassed their fundraising target for such an important cause. It has also been fantastic to see how our partnership with Interlaw has supported the journey, demonstrating the strength of our global network and the value it brings to clients wherever in the world they may need us."
