Next December, 28-year-old Sofia Deambrosi and her three Bristol Gulls teammates, Chloe Juyon, Lorna Carter and Sarah Hunt, will embark on one of the world’s toughest endurance challenges: the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic row – covering 3000 nautical miles from La Gomera in the Canaries across the Atlantic to Antigua.

The all-female Bristol Gulls are planning to row as sustainably as possible, with race partners chosen for their eco credentials and a new eco boat designed by Rannoch to have less impact on the environment. They are also raising money for the RNLI and Clean-Up Bristol Harbour through their row.

With a year to go, skipper Sofia tells me about her endurance sport background, the challenges that await the team and how they’re focused on building strength and lifting heavy until their boat arrives in May 2020.

Former professional ocean racer Lia Ditton has 17 years of sailing experience and 150,000 nautical miles under her belt, but in 2000, on four days’ notice and with no specific training, she completed a different type of ocean crossing: rowing across the Atlantic. Fast-forward to today and Lia is gearing up for her attempt next year to become the first person to successfully row 5,500 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean, land to land, without being towed.

As part of her training last year, the 38-year-old rowed 350 miles in 12.5 days off the California coast, during which time she encountered the most harrowing conditions of her 17 years at sea. Her experience is the subject of a film, Perseverance, by Find it Film, which is being screened at this month’s Four Seasons Film Festival in London. I grabbed a Skype chat with Lia to talk about all this and more.

‘Perseverance – California Coast Row’ is being screened at London’s Four Seasons Film Festival as part of a triple bill on Wednesday 20 March. Lia will be attending the event and holding a post-screening Q&A. Tickets here.

Photo: Anthony Ball

When 37-year-old Kiko Matthews set out to break the solo speed record for rowing the Atlantic in January, she’d already faced death at least twice in the form of two brain surgeries and time in intensive care whilst deeply ill with Cushing’s disease. Her experience inspired a quest to raise money for King’s College Hospital who treated her, and fostered a positive mindset that meant that even the 80ft waves she encountered during her record breaking 49-day row didn’t faze her.

In fact, Kiko completed the 3280-mile Atlantic row without any dramatic tales; she didn’t missed anyone or anything, liked her own company and genuinely enjoyed the experience. Truth be told, I was expecting tales of hallucinations, naked rowing and life-changing moments of facing fears, loneliness and total exhaustion, but Kiko’s positive approach to life meant that, save the brief low moment, she literally sailed through it. As she said to me, “You don’t have to do a big challenge in order to find yourself or to be happy – for me, these revelations have come from everyday life, from all the experiences I’ve had, good and bad.”

Enjoy the rest of our chat.

Obstacle course racer turned endurance athlete, Laura Try, was part of a team of four who rowed 1800 miles around Great Britain in June. Here, the 35-year-old talks about her rowing experience, her training, and the logistics of living on a boat measuring 8.6m x 1.6m for 56 days.

A few years ago, 33-year old Kiko Matthews was seriously ill with Cushing’s disease, suffering with everything from 65% muscle loss to psychosis, diabetes and osteoporosis. Fast forward to today and Kiko’s set herself an epic challenge: to not only complete a solo 3000-mile row across the Atlantic, but to annihilate a world record in the process by doing it all within 45 days (current record 56 days)!

Oh, and I should probably mention that the SUP board instructor has NO ROWING EXPERIENCE.
Kiko’s training journey will kick-off properly in October, but today we cover the basics of what she’s up to and why…