AssetID: 54483805
Headline: RAW VIDEO: 21-Year-Old British Woman Becomes Youngest To Row From Europe To South America
Caption: Zara Lachlan, a 21-year-old from Cambridge, has become the youngest person and first woman to complete the solo unsupported row from Europe to the South American mainland. The physics student set off from Lagos in Portugal’s Algarve on 27 October last year and arrived in French Guiana on Saturday, completing the gruelling 3,600-nautical-mile journey in a remarkable 97 days, 9 hours and 20 minutes. On her feelings after reaching the finish line, she said “It was just incredible to see land as I approached. French Guiana is actually quite flat so I wasn’t that far from the coast when I first spotted it. “It felt like it was not only the end of the challenge but, the culmination of a longer mission to get me here, to prepare me for this challenge and then to take on the Atlantic – and make it!” Despite facing sharks, towering tankers, severe weather, injuries, and an altercation with killer whales, Zara completed her voyage. During her journey, however, she suffered a broken finger and a capsized boat. Despite these struggles she missed breaking the solo row speed for the TransAtlantic trip by just 19 hours. Describing the difficulties of taking on such a journey, she adds: “At the beginning of the row, one of the hardest things for me was having to clean the hull of the boat. As I’m not a great swimmer, jumping out of the boat and diving underneath it to clean it was something I dreaded. But by the end of the row, I loved it. In fact, I looked forward to a dip in the sea and was in the water every day. “The toughest section of the voyage by far was the section through the Canaries. It felt like all of the winds and weather were against me. I was pushing hard for 21 hours a day and going just 11 miles. It was soul crushing.” She carried 800kg of supplies, including meals and snacks totalling 5,500 calories per day. Lachlan will join the Army in September as a technical officer after completing a physics degree at Loughborough University. Having spent so long at sea she is only now getting used to being on dry land. “Stepping onto land after 97 days at sea was really strange,” Zara reveals. “I’ve got so used to the motion of the boat on the water that despite the solidity of the ground – I felt like I was swaying. “I’m not sure it’s fully sunk in yet, however it goes without saying that I took on a massive challenge and won – nothing beats that feeling.” She also raised money for the Team Forces Foundation and Women in Sport, hoping to inspire more women to take up physical challenges. Zara says: “I know it seems like an extreme way to inspire other women to get into fitness, but I want people to realise their potential and, if I can do something that I find scary then other women can attempt a challenge of their own.”
Keywords: french guiana,zara lachlan,team forces,rowing,atlantic ocean,sport,records,hero,women in sport,women,feature,photo
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