Imagine rowing for up to six months on the open ocean, at the mercy of Mother Nature, in a vessel less than 10 metres long, with no support around – just our own wit and wisdom. Next spring, that’s exactly what my two teammates and I, the Seas the Day Ocean Rowing Team, will be doing. We will attempt to row nonstop and unsupported across the Pacific Ocean, a record-breaking journey of over 8,000 miles from Peru to Australia.

Our trusty ocean rowing boat, Velocity, is approximately 10 metres long. She will be equipped with everything we need to survive for an unknown amount of time at sea. Velocity features solar panels to power our equipment, a desalinator for water, two rowing positions, and numerous hatches for our food and other supplies. Luxuries are few: our toilet and shower are buckets (thankfully not the same ones!). However, Velocity does have two large cabins where we can rest and shelter from the elements.

Ocean rowing is a hard sport to describe. In the simplest terms, it is brutally brilliant. There are few opportunities to test yourself so thoroughly, but even fewer that offer such immense satisfaction and so many reasons to smile. Half the intrigue lies in the unpredictability of what will be thrown at us by Mother Nature. We’ll be rowing in rolling shift patterns, each of us rowing between 12-15 hours a day, ensuring that at least one rower is always on the oars. We will face sleep deprivation, extreme tiredness, colossal waves, a diet of freeze-dried food and maybe even a few hallucinations.

Why undertake such a daunting task you ask? Because it is so much more than a sporting challenge; it encapsulates the very essence of adventure. By embracing the challenges of the open ocean, we hope to inspire others to embrace their personal challenges and discover the limitless possibilities beyond their comfort zones. Additionally, we aim to use this endeavour to raise funds for The Outward Bound Trust and promote the profound benefits of adventure for children.