Andrew and I had entered the Atlantic Rowing Race, considered to be one of the toughest endurance events in the world.  We raced against 34 other double-handed crews rowing 3300 miles from Tenerife to Barbados.  We were the only mixed sex team in the event.

I was disqualified for taking outside assistance when Andrew was taken off the boat by Challenger Business' safety vessel.

The Atlantic Rowing Race start gun sounded at 10.30am on 8 October 2001.  It took me 111 days, 5 hours and 43 minutes of rowing to reach Port St Charles in Barbados. 

When I set out with Andrew we had expected to reach Barbados in 60 days.  I arrived to rapturous applause from hundreds of well wishers and a large press contingent on 24 January 2002.

Yes, in principle!  This journey changed my life.  I learnt an enormous amount and, on many days, I love it.  But it was a remarkable journey because it went so wrong!  That is hard to replicate.

It is also hard to repeat challenges now that I do them for living, as it is difficult to get sponsorship and media interest in something that has already been done but I'd gladly pay the bill if one of my daughters wanted to do it with me when they are a bit bigger!

New Zealanders Steve Westlake and Matt Goodman on Telecom Challenge 1 won the Atlantic Rowing Race in 42 days.  They arrived in Barbados on 18 November 2001, 70 days before me!  The Editor of the Times very sweetly wrote on 28 January 2002, "The winner of the race is the girl that came last."

From early on it became apparent that Andrew was suffering from acute anxiety and had an irrational fear of Open Ocean.  Andrew and I tried to work through this but after 9 days it became clear that we would have to call on a safety vessel to take Andrew off the boat.

It was a decision we made together as we both felt strongly that it was the only option for Andrew's wellbeing.  It took a further 5 days for the nearest yacht to reach us.

I loved life on board and the challenge.  Whilst I was an inexperienced rower (I'd only learnt to row on the River Thames in London in the year leading up to the start of the race) I was an experienced expedition leader.

I believed I could do it and wanted to give it my best shot, despite knowing that if something went wrong, I might not see my family again.  Andrew supported me 100% in my decision and continued to be a committed member of the team, helping with navigation and providing emotional support via Satellite phone for the following 3 months.

The rowing boats are small and difficult to see once in a moderate Atlantic swell.  Consequently container ships and tankers prove a huge risk and could plough down a rowing boat without even knowing they had hit anything as they are only made of 6mm thick plywood.

When there are two rowers on board there is always someone rowing (on-watch), however, I had to sleep, all-be-it for only very short periods of time, so could not always keep a look out and alert passing ships to my position.  Storms, sharks and other marine life also proved a bit tricky to manage on my own.

Two hours rowing, one hour off, two hours rowing, one hour off, two hours rowing etc etc around the clock!

In my one hour off I would get some sleep after completing all my jobs, so sleep deprivation became an interesting part of the journey!

It drifted... sometimes in the right direction, but often in the wrong direction.

Basic!  I had a bucket on my deck that I used as a toilet.  Washing consisted of using baby wet wipes, until I ran out and gave up washing all together.  I used a water maker to convert seawater in to horrible tasting drinking water.  This water was used to re-hydrate tasteless dried food.  There is no supply boat following each rowing boat.

I was completely alone and found the loneliness overwhelming at times.  Living conditions are cramped.  The rowing boat has a small cabin that measures 6' long by a few feet wide.  The length of the boat means that for months the competitors don't walk and lose the ability to do so by the time they reach land. But the peace and tranquility I found out there was worth the lack of home comforts.

Without a doubt it was dealing with the loneliness.  Even those people who choose to live alone might pass people in the street or hand over money in a shop but when you see no-one for months it feels crippling at times.

It was hard not to get down about it so my virtual team and the hundreds of supporters around the world became my lifeline.