Four women become record breakers by rowing a staggering 2,400 miles in the Pacific
Stunning footage of rowers in the Pacific - and the moment they celebrate finishing
Four women have rowed themselves into the record books - going 2,400 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean.
The so-called Ocean Sheroes - which included Bella Collins from Falmouth, in Cornwall, and Purusha Gordon from Luckington, in Wiltshire - smashed the world record for the fastest all female four to row the mid-Pacific route.
The journey took them from east to west - from San Francisco to Hawaii - and took them 35 days, 15 hours and 32 minutes.
They have also become the first all British four to complete the Great Pacific Race.
They braved some brutal conditions, including 30ft waves and gusts of wind reaching 47mph.
Mother-of-two, Purusha Gordon said: “Achieving the record was something I had hung my hat on for a while as a definition of success. Halfway through the row, I realised the record was just a small part of it.
"To cross an ocean by human power alone and to cross waters never chartered before, at times at the mercy of Mother Nature, was a privilege and the most incredible adventure of a lifetime.
"While the certificate will hang on the wall, it’s the experience, stories and learnings that will continue to shape me for the better. I hope, I can inspire other mums and women out there to be brave, say yes and believe they can too.”
Bella Collins said she has "no plans for another adventure", adding: "I think we both need to rest and recover now.”
Since its launch in 2014, only 22 teams have ever completed the Great Pacific Race, rowing 2,400 nautical miles from San Francisco to Hawaii, with only two four-person all females teams reaching the finish line.
To put this in perspective, more than 4,000 people have climbed Mount Everest, 1,604 have wintered in the South Pole and 566 people have been to space.
So why did they take on this challenge?
Well, the Ocean Sheroes are on a mission to raise £60,000 for the Seabin Project to support its work for cleaner oceans to preserve our planet.
The Seabin 6.0 is a revolution in ocean cleaning technology, helping to create cleaner oceans with healthier marine life. The Seabin catches an estimated 1.5 tonnes of marine debris per year, including micro plastics down to 2mm small.