A 21-year-old swimming teacher from North Yorkshire has become the youngest woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Jasmine Harrison, a part-time teacher and bartender from Thirsk, England, began the journey in December, when she departed from La Gomera in the Canary Islands. It took her 70 days, three hours and 48 minutes to reach Antigua.
Her arrival in the Caribbean was greeted with a fanfare on Facebook, where she was livestreamed crossing the finishing line. The triumphant 21-year-old stood in her rowing boat and lit her flares as she came into the bay.
Arriving on the island, Harrison said the experience had been “everything [she] wanted it to be.”
Asked what she was most looking forward to, the 21-year-old said: “Food, definitely food.”
She said the 4,828km journey has been made of “good and bad memories,” but explained that she had appreciated being able to escape from normal life.
“There’s nothing like it, actually getting away from everything — social media, bad news, from literally everything,” she said.
The rower faced several challenges on her journey. Her boat capsized early this month and again two days ago, injuring her elbow.
Harrison said she would row for two hours and sleep for two hours on rotation during the crossing.
She was inspired to sign up for the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge when she visited Antigua after completing her A-level exams.
She began training for the competition in January last year in Hartlepool, England, according to a report in the Northern Echo.
Her record-breaking feat has raised more than ￡10,000 (US$14,016) for charity, with the money going to the Blue Marine Foundation, which aims to fight overfishing, and ShelterBox, an organization providing relief to people affected by natural disasters.
“I want to inspire young people to get out there and do something, whether that be changing the world or just doing something outside your comfort zone,” Harrison wrote in a statement on her Web site.
Until now, the youngest female rower to traverse the Atlantic was 22-year-old Katie Spotz from the USA, who made the journey from Jan. 3, 2010, to March 14, 2010.
Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Friday backed calls for the US to boycott the Winter Olympics in Beijing next year, saying that China’s “nasty” activity made it an inappropriate host. Pompeo, a vociferous critic of Beijing while he was former US president Donald Trump’s top diplomat, said that the previous administration had tried in its final months to persuade the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to move the Winter Games. “I hope that our athletes get a chance to participate in the Olympics,” Pompeo told radio host Hugh Hewitt. “They very much deserve that, but in the end, we cannot
Zion Williamson on Monday produced a dominant performance as the New Orleans Pelicans upset the league-leading Utah Jazz with a 129-124 victory. Pelicans prodigy Williamson finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to give New Orleans a deserved victory over the Western Conference-leading Jazz. It was the sort of display from the 20-year-old Williamson that made him one of the most coveted young players in years when he was snapped up by New Orleans two years ago with the No.1 pick in the draft. Against Utah on Monday, the 2m, 129kg powerhouse used his physique and skill to barrel through the
EYE ON UNITED: Pep Guardiola said the team’s focus was on their next game after the league leaders dominated Wolves, although the scores were level after an hour Manchester City on Tuesday equaled their club record of 28 games unbeaten, hammering Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-1 to open up a gaping 15-point lead at the top of the Premier League table. Pep Guardiola shuffled his pack at the Etihad Stadium against the team who did the league double against them last season as he maintained his club’s assault on an unprecedented quadruple. The champions-elect were made to sweat after Conor Coady canceled out an early own-goal from Leander Dendoncker, but two late goals from Gabriel Jesus and a Riyad Mahrez strike sealed the three points. City’s 28-match unbeaten run in all competitions equals
What to do if you are a windsurfing enthusiast in a country where the sea freezes over for months of the year? For a group of Finns, the answer is to kit out sailboards with skates and take to the ice, reaching speeds of up to 100kph in a burgeoning sport that can only be practiced in a handful of places around the world. “I call them happiness machines,” Feodor Gurvits said, pointing to his self-made board which sits on three blades and has a windsurfing sail attached. “They really make people smile.” Gurvits and about half a dozen ice surfers
RSS