Scottish rowing duo take on the Atlantic Challenge Race
The two novice rowers will be tackling the three thousand mile journey in December this year.
Last updated 2nd Mar 2023
A Scottish rowing duo are set to cross the Atlantic at the end of this year in a three thousand mile endurance race.
Sabrina Simpson and Leanne Maiden will be the only all-female Scottish team participating in the Atlantic Challenge Race, which runs between La Gomera in the Canaries to Antigua in the Caribbean this December.
The challenge is expected to last at least 60 days and will see the pair rotating between rowing, eating and sleeping in two-hour shifts for the duration of the journey.
Fighting through sleep deprivation, salt sores, and the psychological challenges of being on the water day in and day out.
Leanne said: “People keep asking if this is a mid-life crisis. I’m not sure if that’s the case but whatever it is, it will be a life-changing experience.”
The pair met online during lockdown and have dubbed themselves ‘She rOars’ while they tackle this new challenge.
Sabrina moved to Scotland from Canada 24 years ago, and Leanne from South Africa, and the pair believe this is one of the reasons they get along so well.
Sabrina said: “our boat will be flying the Scottish flag though because you know, that's what unites us, so it really would be fighting just to get Scotland behind us.”
The team will be racing to raise money for three charities, both of them for Women’s Fund for Scotland, Leanne for the Mabel Foundation, and Sabrina for the Polar Academy UK.
Leanne said: “the Mabel Foundation do a lot of work through sub-Saharan Africa, and they aim to eliminate period poverty by keeping girls in school through their menstrual cycle.”
The Polar Academy aims to give 14-17 year olds the chance to build their confidence by taking part in ten months of training before undergoing ten days of dog-sledding in Greenland.
Sabrina said:
“these kids are just going to grow so much and become leaders out of having such an amazing experience."
"So, I picked that because in the Mid-Atlantic when you're needing to dig deep and remember why you're rowing, it was just a great way for me to know I could push forwards.”
While the challenge will be intense, both rowers are looking forward to the digital detox of the experiment, and the time they will get to spend in nature.
Leanne said: “I'm looking very much forward to seeing, like the Ocean wildlife."
"Quite a few of the teams do it for ocean conservation, and it's just really amazing when you're out there and there's whales and dolphins and sharks sometimes just swimming about you and you’re in amongst it seeing a totally different side of wildlife.”
The race begins in December this year and can be tracked live on the event website.
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