Dunblane woman receives official confirmation of world rowing record
Elaine Hopley has broken the World and British records for rowing indoors continuously for 27 hours
A Dunblane mother-of-two receives official confirmation she has broken the world record for the longest continuous individual row indoors.
Elaine Hopley rowed for 27 hours last month in the gruelling challenge and had an anxious wait to find out she had made it into the record books.
The 44 year old, who is rowing the Atlantic solo in aid of Alzheimer Scotland in memory of her late mother, is telling Clyde News: "To say I have a world record is cool! My kids love it and I am proud of myself which makes me smile.
"This was a difficult challenge, probably the hardest as I was asking myself to go for longer continuous than I have ever done before and on a machine which was indoors. It was a huge mental challenge to sit on a machine inside for that long, telling your body not to stop."
"Breaking through different levels of pain and tiredness. I have 25 years experience of endurance events so I knew what I was letting myself in for and had trained, prepared myself for what I was doing.’’
Elaine is a champion mountain biker who has also cycled unsupported through Australia, New Zealand and Chile and rode 1000 miles from Land’s End to John O'Groats.
She continued: "One of the toughest parts of the challenge was sleep deprivation. I had been rowing steady and felt great ‘til I hit 10pm, 12 hours into the row. My mind was telling me it was bedtime and sure enough it was. I could no longer hold a conversation and I had to close my eyes whilst continuing to row. This worked and I continued my rhythm and kept in the zone, listening to the fly wheel purring along. I did this for 4 hours and slowly my mind woke up and I could communicate again with the people who were supporting me.
"Eating is hard work, as I go through phases of nausea and occasional heart burn. However I know it always wears off and I have to push through.
Alongside the lack of sleep and the nausea Elaine says the hardest part was the pain in her backside!
"Towards the end I was sitting on various cushions to try and relieve pain. However again mentally I had to break through this, grin and bear it until I finished my row."
Despite putting her body through the mill Elaine went out mountain biking the following day and says "I felt great."
Elaine says her mum Janice, who died aged just 72 after a 16 year battle with Alzheimers "would have been delighted as she was always my number one fan."
"Now that she is gone I want to support a case which affects people and affected her for 16 years."
Elaine has a hectic schedule, she juggles family life, training for her 3,000 mile solo Atlantic challenge and work at her own DIY firm.
But, there is no let up, her next fundraiser, "A Knockout Road Show" is taking place in Stirling on the 24th of July.
Elaine is hoping the charity event, much like the "It's a Knockout" outdoor games show in the 1970's, will become an annual event raising vital funds for Alzheimer Scotland.