Way back in October of final year I told you about an all-girl rowing team that was set to take component in the Woodvale Challenge, an annual race across the Atlantic Ocean in row boats. At the time, the girls who produced up the Row For Freedom team were hoping to not only comprehensive the crossing, but nab a handful of records in the approach. This previous weekend, they reached the finish line, and completed some major milestones as nicely.
The team, which consists of Julia Immonen, Debbie Beadle, Helen Leigh, Kate Richardson, and Katie Pattison-Hart, started out their adventure in the Canary Islands on December 7th. The group rowed in shifts, 24-hours per day, covering 4205km (2613 miles) in just 45 days, 15 hours, and 26 minutes, before arriving in Barbados in the Caribbean Sea. Their time marked a record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic by an all female group and they became the 1st five-woman squad to row any ocean at all.
Even though rowing the Atlantic Ocean is a fantastic achievement and an remarkable adventure in and of itself, the girls had greater aspirations in mind when they set out. The group partnered with two charities, ECPAT UK and The A21 Campaign, both of which are working challenging to stamp out human trafficking. The Row For Freedom work was created to increase awareness of this situation, which continues to be a really actual and scary exercise in numerous elements of our planet.
Congratulations to the entire group on a occupation properly completed. Amazing work!
