Football, basketball and now rowing.
Retired NFL tight end Jimmy Graham added to his already impressive sporting resume by completing the 584-mile Arctic Challenge in record time, as detailed by the Saints website.
Graham, 38, alongside Andrew Tropp, Hannah Huppi and John Huppi, set a new record for a quartet by completing the grueling journey in a little more than 10 days.
They are the first mixed-gender team and first All-American squad to accomplish the feat, while Graham is the first Black individual and Hannah the first woman to row a polar ocean, per the recap.
The Arctic Challenge is is “600-mile, record-setting expedition across the Arctic Ocean,” per its website.
The group began July 4 in Tromso, Norway, and finished July 14 in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, according to the Saints’ recap.
The average trip is roughly 16 1/2 days, per the report, and previous record of 15 days, five hours and 32 minutes had been set in 2023 by Ocean Revival.
Graham and his teammate reportedly faced inclement weather throughout the journey that forced them to drop anchor at two points, while rain and clouds affects their electronics.
The five-time Pro Bowler provided updates to his Instagram account during the voyage, including a Day 3 recap featuring “freezing winds, sleep shifts, and non-stop seas.”
“It’s been raining nonstop for 24 hours. No sun for 72. We’re officially in battery conservation mode Everything’s wet. Everything’s cold,” he wrote last week in a separate post. “But the mission? Still fully charged. We are so thankful for everyone’s continued support through this journey. Let’s go!”
The journey had a charitable side to it, with the four raising funds for Covenant House New Orleans and Laureus Sport for Good New Orleans, per the recap.
Graham spent six of his 13 NFL seasons with the Saints, starring in the Big Easy from 2010-14 before finishing his season with the team in 2023.
He also spent three seasons with the Seahawks and two each with the Packers and Bears.