Mark Agnew

{{Short description|UK adventurer}}

File:Mark Agnew Adventurer Kayaking Keynote Speaker.jpg

Mark Agnew is a British adventurer notable for kayaking the Northwest Passage.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/adventurer-sets-two-world-records-by-kayaking-northwest-passage-0jfdnd0jr|title=Adventurer sets two world records by kayaking Northwest Passage|first=Charlotte Alt, Paul|last=Cargill|date=December 14, 2023|via=www.thetimes.co.uk}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-67133185|title=Adventurer sets two world records kayaking Arctic's Northwest Passage|date=October 17, 2023|via=www.bbc.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/outdoors/edinburgh-adventurer-sets-two-world-records-by-kayaking-northwest-passage/|title=Edinburgh adventurer sets two world records by kayaking Northwest Passage|first=Ellie|last=Forbes|date=October 17, 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-adventurer-sets-two-world-31203343|title=Scots adventurer sets two world records by kayaking through deadly Arctic Ocean|first1=Mark|last1=Connor|first2=Paul Cargill, PA|last2=Scotland|date=October 16, 2023|website=Scottish Daily Express}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nnsl.com/news/arctic-cowboys-successfully-kayak-entire-northwest-passage-7274972|title=Arctic Cowboys successfully kayak Northwest Passage|date=October 16, 2023|website=NNSL Media}} Mark was awarded European Adventurer of the Year 2023.{{Cite web|url=http://www.adventureroftheyear.com/previous-winners.html|title=Winners of the Adventurer of the year|website=Adventurer of the Year}}{{Cite web|url=https://news.stv.tv/scotland/edinburgh-man-becomes-first-scot-to-win-european-adventurer-of-the-year-after-breaking-two-world-records|title=Man becomes first Scot to win European Adventurer of the Year|first=Calum|last=Loudon|date=November 29, 2023|website=STV News}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23965401.edinburgh-kayaker-wins-european-adventurer-year/|title=Scots kayaker wins European Adventurer of the Year for Arctic expedition|date=December 4, 2023|website=The Herald}} He is the heir apparent to the Agnew baronets. Mark is the son of explorer Sir Crispin Agnew KC. Mark is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society

Mark and three teammates kayaked the Northwest Passage.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-67140451|title=Adventurer sets world records kayaking Arctic's Northwest Passage|work=BBC News }} Mark, expedition leader West Hansen, Jeff Wueste and Eileen Visser, known as The Arctic Cowboys,{{Cite web|url=https://paddlingmag.com/stories/news-events/arctic-cowboys-complete-northwest-passage/|title=Arctic Cowboys Complete Northwest Passage|first=Paddling Magazine|last=Staff|date=October 10, 2023|website=Paddling Magazine}} were in two tandem kayaks, supported by their shore team Tom McGuire and Barbara Edington.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thearcticcowboys.com/the-arctic-cowboys/|title=The Arctic Cowboys Team|website=The Arctic Cowboys}} They are the first people to kayak the entire Northwest Passage, and the first people to complete the route by human power, without the use of sails or motors, in a single season.{{Cite web|url=https://explorersweb.com/northwest-passage-kayakers-finish-epic-journey/|title=Northwest Passage Kayakers Finish Epic Journey » Explorersweb|first=Jerry|last=Kobalenko|date=October 9, 2023}} They kayaked from Baffin Bay to the Beaufort Sea, the recognised boundaries of the Northwest Passage as defined by the International Hydrographic Organization.{{Cite web|url=https://angusrowboats.com/blogs/news/human-powered-achievements-through-the-northwest-passage|title=Human Powered Achievements through the Northwest Passage|first=Angus|last=Rowboats|website=Angus Rowboats}} They experienced extreme cold and dangerous polar bear encounters.{{cite web |title=ITV |url=https://www.itv.com/watch/news/scottish-kayaker-braves-freezing-temperatures-to-set-arctic-record/cqptl6v

}} Agnew and his fellow expedition members were subsequently charged with various offences under Canadian environmental and wildlife legislation for allegedly entering a National Park without permits. All charges were withdrawn.{{Cite web|url=https://explorersweb.com/parks-canada-drops-charges-against-northwest-passage-kayakers/|title=Parks Canada Drops Charges Against Northwest Passage Kayakers|first=Explorers|last=Web|website=ExplorersWeb}}

In 2013, a team of rowers attempted the Northwest Passage by human power;{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsnews.com/local-arts/adventurers-tackle-the-northwest-passage-3060673|title=Adventurers tackle the Northwest Passage|date=October 21, 2017|website=North Shore News}} in 2019, two kayakers attempted it;{{Cite web|url=https://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/kayaking-the-northwest-passage|title=Kayaking the Northwest Passage|first=Canoe &|last=Kayak|date=December 5, 2019|website=Men's Journal}} in 2023, as Mark and the team kayaked the Northwest Passage two {{Cite web|url=https://nwpexpedition.com//|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323193150/https://nwpexpedition.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=March 23, 2021|title=The North West Passage Expedition – The expedition of our time|website=nwpexpedition.com}}{{Cite web|url=http://northwest-passage.com/|title=over the top|website=northwest-passage.com}} other rowing teams were attempting the human powered world first. No one has succeeded until Mark and the team.

Mark was born in 1991 in Edinburgh. He attended Fettes College. He went to Newcastle University. Mark lived in Hong Kong from 2013 to 2021.

Mark's failed to row the Atlantic twice, once in 2016,{{cite news |last1=SCMP |title=The Mirror|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/captain-calamity-crew-abandoned-passports-9479965}} and again in 2018 with a team called Atlantic Albatross.{{cite news |last1=SCMP |title=World's Toughest Row |url=https://www.worldstoughestrow.com/leaderboards/}} Mark experienced a mental health crisis as a result of the failures.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-65890131|title=Edinburgh adventurer attempts 2,000 mile Arctic kayak voyage|date=June 20, 2023|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}