Gemma Chalk, Clare Lanyon, Jane McIntosh & Olivia Wilson are rowing the Atlantic in January 2016.
In January 2016, four women will attempt to row The Atlantic Ocean unaided and break the World Record for an all-female crew. They will depart from Gran Canaria and journey across 2,994 miles of open water to the final destination in Barbados, challenging the current record by attempting to arrive less than 45 days later.
These four women were brought together by a shared dream of conquering the Atlantic by rowing boat, ready to face the most challenging and thrilling adventure of their lives. They will be using the opportunity to raise money for Barnardos and the Forces Children’s Trust, and have chosen specific projects where their funds can be used to enrich the lives of children less fortunate, helping to provide them with a better future.
Olivia Wilson, an Army Officer and one of the crew members shares her driving force behind the race, “Although we all have very personal reasons for taking on such a huge challenge, it is my desire to push myself to my mental and physical limits. I am passionate about fundraising for charity, so the prospect of helping young children is a significant motivation of mine. Having served in Afghanistan and witnessed the end of Operations, I think it’s important that we do not forget the children of those who made the ultimate sacrifice”.
Olivia, who currently serves at 47 Regiment Royal Artillery, is joined by three other team members; Gemma Chalk, the co-founder of ‘Oceanus Rowing’; Clare Lanyon, a mother of two from Cornwall and Jane McIntosh, an RAF Sergeant who has attempted The Atlantic row once before. All these women share a strong connection with the sport and connected via the Oceanus rowing website. Their rowing boat will be only 8.5 metres in length, fighting against 10 metre waves, and threatened by the possibility of storms and gales. Conditions at sea will be ferocious; the four women expect to survive on minimum sleep, and sweltering heat, and to have to deal with chafing and sores from the boat, with marine life as their sole company!
They will be completely self-sufficient, living on only freeze-dried food, with no bathroom facilities and sleeping in a cabin smaller than a single bed. Preparation is key to their success, and focused physical training is a commitment which they all have to fit in around their demanding work schedules, each expecting to have to train 6 days per week, and 2 hours a day of running, cycling, swimming and rowing.
Additionally, they are currently organising a variety of fundraising events in order to raise awareness for their chosen charities. The expedition is costing the crew over £60,000, of which they are funding out of their own savings, and where possible, the support of corporate sponsors. These four ordinary women are resolved to take on an extraordinary challenge, for what will undoubtedly be a modern maritime adventure and the experience of their lifetimes.
Donate: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/femaleatlanticrow2016
You can read about the CHALLENGE and the CREW here, the BOAT TRACKING will be below when they start; along with a DAILY STATS page.
Follow their journey via the "Oceanus Rowing" Facebook page and on Twitter @OceanusRowing.
Click here to see all the PHOTOS & BLOGS of their adventure and read the latest here!
