ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Those on the road to recovery from addiction can add a world record to their list of accomplishments. The organization ROCovery Fitness hosted a world record attempt for the longest continual row of 26 hours.

“It's a free event for anyone who's participating,” volunteer Stephanie Barbero said. “But it's also to get the word out about what an amazing place recovery is, and to do a little bit of fundraising. Because people that are working through sobriety and are on their journey or maybe sober athletes already. They need support. And it's a great way to support a great, great place to be.”

“I did absolutely no preparation for this,” peer support program manager Kara Izzo said. “As a matter of fact, I'm training for a marathon and I ran 13 miles today. So this might turn out to be a really bad idea. But so far, eight minutes in, we're OK.”

The group focuses on more than just fitness, but also a path to recovery.

“It's dressed up as a fitness event, right?” executive director Jonathan Westfall said. “But it's really building community. It's making connections. There's a room full of people rowing for over 24 hours. You know, within that time, you really get to know people, these events and these things have a way of stripping you down to the barest of who you are and relate to other people who are also in the same circumstances.”

Participants supported each other and showed they have the willpower to do anything they put their mind to.

“I promise you, at some point in your life, you are going to know and love somebody who has been affected by addiction,” Westfall said. “I would hope that people would be able to see the humanness underneath those things. We are not what we've done, right? We're so much more than that. And we're capable of so much more than that. And everyone can get better.”