I #choosetochallenge: Rowing an Ocean

In September of 2018, my husband, David, asked me if it would be okay for him to row the Atlantic the following year.  He would be away for two months over Christmas. I am a working Mum with four young children. So what to say? Well, “yes” is what I said. I’ve always believed that whether we are married or not, have children or not, we all have the right to live our own lives. He is a father, a professional, a husband, and he is his own person, so yes, he should have the chance to take a couple of months out of ‘life’ to do something he’s always dreamed of.

Fast-forward 18-months and I found myself in Antigua, eagerly awaiting the arrival of David and his crew. They rowed into Nelson’s Dockyard and that was the moment that I knew I wanted to do it. I wanted to row the Atlantic. I wanted to spend over 40 days at sea in a very small boat.

The obvious question is why? Well, there are a few reasons…

-        To demonstrate that gender is irrelevant.  When David did the race, so many women I know told me that they could never embark on this kind of challenge (for many different reasons) and it really got me thinking – well, why not? Yes, I have four children and I’m a working Mum managing a busy life, but my husband has four children, is a working Dad managing a busy life, and he did it…so I can do it too. I want to inspire women and children of all ages, reminding them that our gender has no limitations, and no challenge is too great to overcome. Anything is possible with the right mindset. 

-        Raising money for our chosen charities. We will be rowing to support two charities that are close to our hearts as a crew. The Felix Fund helps military and Metropolitan Police personnel who have conducted or assisted with Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) and Search duties (The Manchester Arena bombing being just one example). They provide welfare support and financial assistance to serving personnel, veterans, and dependents. I have friends who serve in this unit and they risk their lives every day to keep our country safe. Our second charity is Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice – a wonderful London charity helping seriously unwell children and their families make the most of the special time they have together. As a mother, I can’t help but be moved by the incredible work of these charities.

-        To find out what I’m capable of. I believe we are all capable of so much more than we think. The only way to understand what we’re all individually capable of is to push ourselves beyond our self-imposed limits, to put ourselves in a position where failure is a distinct possibility. Over the last 10 years I have done this on a number of occasions taking part in ultra-marathons. I have learnt that if we can control our mind, our body will keep going. I have never taken part in a physical challenge of this magnitude however, so again, I put myself in the face of potential failure to see what I’m truly capable of and in this way, I grow both in mind and body.

So what is it? Starting in December of this year I will row, unaided, 3,000 miles across the Atlantic with 3 other incredible women as part of ‘The Mothership’ crew. We are taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge<https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/> – ‘The world’s toughest row’. We will set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands, and row in shifts 2 hours on, 2 hours off, 24 hours a day until we reach Antigua – hopefully around 45 days later. Our boat is a 28 foot ocean rowing boat with a tiny cabin at either end, and will contain everything we need for the crossing, including food, water and survival equipment. Solar panels on the boat provide power for some essential equipment, including communications devices and a water maker, so it really is the ultimate in sustainable transport!

I know there will be many people who think I’m selfish, maybe people who wonder how I could ever leave my children for that long, especially over Christmas. I can assure you, they are thoughts that I have battled with myself.  The most important job I have in this life is to be a good mother to my children and that will always be my priority. In doing this race, I want to inspire my own children to dream big, to believe that anything is possible. They are talking about rowing the Atlantic as a crew of siblings as soon as they are old enough. What is, in some ways, a selfish endeavour both for my husband and myself, has inspired our children to dream big, and that’s something I’m proud of.

Part of the International Women’s Day mission is to celebrate women’s achievements, to increase visibility and to call out inequality. If my husband can do it, then so can I. Equality – in my eyes, in my husband’s eyes and in the eyes of our children.

So to all those incredible women and children: we are stronger than we think. We are more capable than we know. We can do it. You can do it. #choosetochallenge #chooseyourchallenge

To find out more about ‘The Mothership’ visit www.themothership.uk and follow our progress on Facebook and Instagram. We have just launched our “250 Club”. If you feel able to donate ï¿¡250 to help get us to the start line, we would be incredibly grateful. If so, we’d love you to send us a photo of yourself, your company or an inspiring photo to put on our boat to help keep us going through the race. Please visit: 250 (themothership.uk) to find out more.

As part of our campaign we are also raising money for two incredible charities: Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice and The Felix Fund. If you would like to donate to our charities, please visit: Virgin Money Giving | The Mothership