Source: Girls Who Dare

Girls Who Dare: 4 girls, 1 boat, 4,000 kms, California to Hawaii

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In May 2020 The Girls who Dare will be rowing unaided 4,000 kms from California to Hawaii.  The current World Record for a women’s open 4 is 50 days, 19 hours, 14 minutes, which they hope to break.

They will set off from Monterey in California to row 2,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean to Honolulu, Hawaii.

I’m not sure how anyone has the courage to take on a challenge of this nature but that is what Jess Shuman, Anna Campbell, Kat Butler and a fourth crew member are planning to do.  And, these women already have proved they are up to a challenge:

Jess Shuman has raced at international rowing regattas, rowed across the Irish Sea, climbed a mountain in Nepal, and completed an ultra triathlon around a Malawian mountain.

Anna Campbell, Anna has increasingly taken on various challenges, cycling London to Paris, ride London, swim serpentine, rowing the Irish sea and most recently she has returning from living in India for a year

Kat Butler: After completing her degree she got her junior doctor jobs in the Oxford area and, after being inspired by the London Olympics in 2012 she enrolled onto a learn to row course at Wallingford Rowing club. She competed in her first Henley Women’s Regatta in the summer of 2013.

The girls brand values are :

Empowerment
Motivation
Self Belief
Commitment
Resilience
Treamwork
Drive
Trust

They will need all of these values in order to complete this incredible challenge and break the world record.

The crew have been brought together by their shared love of rowing, their passion for adventure and their drive and determination. They are united by their passion for sport and challenges which have shaped them into women who jump at the chance to stretch themselves physically and mentally.

The girls are all passionate about encouraging girls to live up to their potential and reap the lifelong benefits of sport to body and mind.

For the 4,000 km journey they will live on the boat for the entire time. There is a cabin at each end for sleeping with rowing positions in the middle. All of the navigation and communication equipment is housed in the cabins including VHF radio, satnav, InReach and charts.

The size of a single bed, these cabins are tight and get damp very quickly, but they’re water-tight to provide safety in the event of a storm. The floors are padded (no bed or mattress) and sleeping bags keep the crew warm during rest periods.

Week 1: In the first week the crew will be battling seasickness and adjusting to life on board; a new routine without the comforts of home. They’ll also be pushing against bad conditions with the wind and tide trying to push them back onto land.

Week 2: As they start to get used to life on board, things change. The mental side really starts to kick in for the second week as they miss friends and family and inevitably question why they are there.

Week 3: As life becomes easier, so do the conditions. By the third week they should be in better weather, with warmer seas and following winds. Unfortunately the barnacles are starting to form on the boat by now, which means a dip into shark infested waters every few days.

And the size of the waves will pick up, with previous crews reporting 40ft waves which are quite intimidating in a 24ft boat. By this point the crew will be severely sleep deprived.

Week 5: Nearing Hawaii the weather heats up, suntans are needing a lot of attention and bum sores are causing pain with every stoke. Equipment failures will have happened by this point; which could be anything, so the crew has to be totally prepared for not knowing what will happen.

Despite all of this, the adventure and team spirit will see them through. There will be times of laughing, crying, singing and dancing. All they can do is dig deep and rely on each other to get to the end.

Week 7: That first glimpse of land will bring a sense of elation at succeeding and disappointment that the adventure is over. The peace of being at sea with nobody around will be replaced with cheers and hugs from family and friends as they dock at Honolulu, ready to take their first bite of fresh food in 50 days.

Kat, Jess and Anna will never look at the ocean the same way again.

The Girls Who Dare want to inspire girls to dream big, set challenges and achieve their goals.  They  will be raising money for their two chosen charities; Women In Sport and Mates in Mind.

You can vote for The Girls Who Dare in the Challenge Awards. 

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