A MALVERN woman who is taking on an epic Atlantic rowing challenge is being spurred on by the loss of her inspirational father.
Lara Vafiadis is rowing the Atlantic as part of the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge.
She was initially doing the challenge to support her father Nick, who was battling cancer.
Sadly, he died on September 14, but the regional sales manager, who went to Malvern College, said his loss would spur her on even more.
She said: "My motivations have now changed due to my father sadly passing away from cancer - he was my motivation and my inspiration."
The challenge will see Lara row more than 3,000 miles across to the Caribbean in a challenge so difficult more people have climbed Everest than completed.
Starting from San Sebastian in the Canary Islands and finishing in Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua and Barbuda, the challenge will see Lara row for up to 18 hours a day.
Besides the lack of sleep, the wind and general conditions make sleep a nightmare. On top of this, salt from the ocean gets everywhere, leading to painful sores along with hallucinations, which many rowers report seeing after many hours on the waves.
With temperatures in excess of 30 degrees, no shade on the boat and rowing all day, every day, dehydration is a real risk. the onboard watermaker is therefore a vital piece of equipment.
Spending all this time rowing burns a huge number of calories, approximately 8000 a day.
However, rowers typically only manage to eat 6000 calories a day.
Therefore, Lara will likely lose between 10kg and 15kg on the crossing.
The row will raise money for three charities: Plan UK, Our Only World and Prostate Cancer UK.
Lara added: "This is something I know I can do. Not out of overconfidence, but from sheer determination and to prove to women and girls everywhere what we are made of.
"Secondly, if my father can suffer through six-plus years of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone treatments and much, much more, the 'small' task of rowing an ocean is more than achievable.
"This row is for him - he was my inspiration and my motivation."
For more information about the challenge, go to www.thisgirlrows.com
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