A Stamford man returned home Saturday after setting a record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean Paul Ridley rowed for nearly three months to become the third American to make the long trip. At 25 years old, Ridley is the youngest rower to complete the journey. Ridley left from the Canary Islands off the African coast in January and headed more than 3,000 miles to the shores of Antigua.

Ridley says he rowed to raise money for his nonprofit organization, Row for Hope, to benefit cancer research. Ridley's mother died of skin cancer eight years ago, and his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. So far, Ridley has raised more than $100,000.

Ridley says the journey was both tiring and exhilarating. He went 29 days in the middle of the trip without seeing another person. The Stamford man says his goal of completing the trip and raising money kept him motivated.