Bristol woman Gemma Best has finished ‘the world’s toughest row’ setting a new world record as the first UK woman to row across the Atlantic twice. The 42-year-old and two teammates, Kevin Watkins, 53 and Adam Siggs, 37, who are both from Portsmouth, completed the 3,000-mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
Leaving La Gomera, Tenerife on December 12 last year, it took 44 days, 11hrs and 39mins for the Gemma's team Raring To Row to reach their destination, Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua and Barbuda. They took on the tough ocean crossing to raise money for UK charity, Action Medical Research, which funds research to help children battling rare diseases.
Speaking from Antigua Gemma, who lives in Clevedon, said she was 13 years old when her two baby sisters, Jade, two years old and Jordan, two-and-a-half-month old both died from a rare neurodegenerative disorder. She said it was her drive to help children with rare medical conditions which kept her going forward during the hardest moments of the ocean journey.
Having already completed the Atlantic crossing once, she said: “I knew I would complete the challenge for a second time, as I loved the raw nature and power of the ocean, and the journey of being taken back to basics and realising how little in life we actually need. I loved the challenge, and pushing myself to the extreme limits both physically and mentally, but I didn’t think I would complete it again so soon.”
“Once out at sea, the challenge is both mentally and physically testing, we faced waves and swell reaching 50ft in height, like huge walls of water heading straight towards us, add to this winds of up to 34 knots, it was certainly very challenging, and quite scary at times for the crew. Mentally, it’s tough, extremely tough, you are on a tiny boat, for 44 days, completely unsupported, the only other boats you may see tend to be huge container ships in the far off distance.
“If you need help, it can be up to a week away. You certainly have low times when you ask yourself why you are doing this, why you are putting yourself through this, you could be in the comfort of your own home, this is when you put the charity to the forefront of your mind,” she said.
Sleep deprivation and constant salt water also took their toll. Gemma said: “Physically, the challenge is also extremely tough. We rowed two hours on, two hours off constantly 24/7 for over 44 days. After two hours of rowing, we would need to eat, wash, complete admin jobs on the boat, check navigation etc, so in reality the longest we would sleep at any one time would be 90 mins, although this could often be disturbed as the boat is being thrown around in all directions by the ocean, alarms could go off due to many different reasons and the noise of the ocean is incredibly loud.
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“We also had to deal with the extreme heat, from which there is no shelter, rowing in heat of over 30C, only to go off shift to a cabin which could reach over 40C. Our hands and feet blistered, the constant salt rubbing our skin, being wet so much of the time from either waves washing over us, or rain storms showering down on us, hunger and the constant craving for real fresh food, and the aches and pains of 12hrs of rowing every day with very little recovery time, it’s extremely hard on your body.”
But she was quick to add that the ocean crossing had some unforgettable moments. Gemma said: "Definitely the night skies for me. Each night is like having your own personal planetarium. The stars are abundant, the Milky Way clear like a pathway across the sky, meteor showers and shooting stars, the planets clear to see, just amazing. Also the wildlife, we had a group of whales join us for over an hour, playing around and under the boat, a baby whale with them, breaching and spraying water over us through their blowholes, just the most beautiful experience.”
Gemma, who rows for Bristol pilot gig club and the Clevedon coastal rowing club, said the team trained for two years, which included in the boat and on rowing machines, as well as strength training. She previously completed the challenge in 2020.
She said: "Arriving in Antigua was a moment we’ll never forget. It was the most memorable and magical experience. You can hear your families, friends, and Atlantic campaigns staff cheering for you, flares burning bright for your arrival, then as you get closer, the pride on everyone’s faces, knowing you have completed the ‘world’s toughest row’ makes every single minute worthwhile. I believe anyone can achieve anything if they really put their mind to it. Ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things.”
The Raring To Row team raised over £30,000 and Sarah Moss, director of communications at Action Medical Research said the charity was grateful to the team for “completing this unimaginable challenge and raising vital funds to help children and families affected by rare diseases.”
