Jasmine Harrison, a 21-year-old swim instructor and bartender from North East England, has set a record as the youngest solo female to ever row across the ocean. She spent 70 days, 3 hours and 48 minutes rowing 3,000 miles from the Canary Islands to Antigua and Barbuda as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
Harrison is one of only 18 women to ever successfully cross the Atlantic by rowboat solo. The expedition required her to paddle 20,000 strokes and cover 60 miles per day, for a total of 12 hours of daily rowing.
The crossing was not smooth sailing. Twice, her 550-pound boat was capsized by rogue waves, landing her in the ocean and injuring her wrist the second time. She also nearly collided with a drilling ship. But there were extraordinary moments too, such as when a pod of Risso’s dolphins followed her boat for hours during the final stretch of her journey.
Harrison says she may row again, but she would also like to give others the opportunity to compete in her place.
