Cambs woman hits halfway on solo rowing journey from Europe to South America
A Cambridge woman hoping to become the youngest person and first woman to row unsupported from Europe to South America has passed the halfway mark on her 3,600-mile journey. Zara Lachlan, 21, said she is "really grateful" for the unique experiences she has had, like seeing fish and dolphins up close.
Ms Lachlan sailed from Lagos in the Algarve region of Portugal on 27 October to start her journey to French Guiana, which is expected to last 90 days and be completed in February. After completing a physics degree at Loughborough University, she's set to enter the Army as a technical officer in September after her nautical adventure.
She has had to overcome challenges including a cut leg, injured arm, capsized boat, and broken equipment. Zara told the PA news agency in a phone interview that she has found joy and appreciation in her journey.
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"My biggest highlight that I think made me feel the most emotional was on day six and it was just the first time I’ve ever seen a fish in the ocean," she said. "It was the moment that I realised that I’m actually doing something for the journey and not to get there. If I wanted to get to South America quickly, I would fly.
"I thought it was the coolest thing ever. So now, every time I see a fish or anything, I still am completely amazed that we’re in space at the same time."
She smashed the screen of her primary phone on day 40, leaving her without music for motivation. "I rowed for 16 hours a day with literally only the sound of the water, which most of the time is really nice, but sometimes I think my brain could really use some kind of stimulation," she said.
Her confidence in completing the immense challenge wavered initially, particularly during the first month. "That first month was the hardest thing mentally that I'd ever had to do because I had to push myself for so many hours every day.
"That first month I was probably averaging between 18 and 20 hours a day to (cover) 15 miles, and I found it really hard to motivate myself. I thought that my journey was going to get stopped because I wasn’t making enough progress."
She said the mental aspect of her trip has been harder than the physical challenges – being alone has been tough. "I’ve been working hard for a lot of years to make sure that physically I wouldn’t struggle too much, but it has been difficult to be alone the whole time," she said.
"Obviously it’s nice to have people on the bad days because I can’t actually physically have anybody there. But also the really nice moments, like I saw whales and dolphins, and it would be really nice to just have somebody to share that with. I’m really looking forward to going home."
She hopes that the second half of her journey will be "much quicker than the first half" as she feels she has gained "a lot more courage" since embarking on her journey. In a previous conversation with PA, she mentioned that she aims to inspire more women to engage in physical activities while raising funds for Women In Sport, a charity that seeks to address gender inequality in sports.
"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 complete this challenge having never rowed on the ocean before, then other women can attempt a challenge of their own, albeit probably not a cross-Atlantic row."