NEWS
Helen Leigh (far left) with her fellow “Row for Freedom” team members
Local graduate joins Atlantic charity challenge
A former student has joined the first female team attempting to row across the Atlantic unaided.
Helen Leigh is pushing herself to the limit by joining five other women from across the globe on the 3000 mile charity challenge, raising awareness for the Sport Against Trafficking charity.
Helen, 26, of Blackburn, studied BSc (Hons) Sports and Exercise Science at the Lancaster campus, graduating in \2008. She is currently a member of the British Triathlon Events Team.
The ‘Row for Freedom’ team is aiming to become the first crew of six women to cross an ocean, and also hopes to beat the current women’s record of 51 days.
They plan to leave the Canary Islands and arrive in Barbados in just 40 days, raising more than £1million for the charity.
Helen said of the challenge: “It’s going to be tough! We are rowing two hours on and two off for 40 days and nights on a small boat with no luxuries!
“When I came across this project I knew that I had to be part of it. A friend of mine who crossed the Atlantic had inspired me and the combination of an all-female crew and the fantastic charity really grabbed me.
“I had never really come across the issue of human trafficking before and now I am determined to help shine a light on this horrific crime. It’s a huge global issue, and also an issue closer to home which many people would not realise or want to even know about.”
Helen and the rest of the crew, including a former model from Brunei, a Sky Sports News presenter, a learning consultant, a fitness instructor and a charity worker are now training hard to prepare for the December challenge.
She said: “We are training two to three times each day and trying to gain weight in preparation for the 6000-8000 calories we will be burning each day. We are in the gym on the rowing machine as well as practising out on the river. We are also doing a great deal of core and weights to make sure our bodies can handle the immense physical stress of crossing an ocean. Mentally, we have trained in emergency situations and also found out each others’ strengths and weaknesses, so as a team we can look after each other as we will experience highs and lows at different times.
“I really hope this is not a once-in-a-lifetime experience but the start of many adventures.”
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