ROWER Lara Vafiadis is being pushed to her mental and physical limit by her solo row across the Atlantic.
The Malvern rower is taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge and raising money for charities including Prostate Cancer UK along the way.
After more than two months at sea, she is now more than halfway across the ocean and has less than 1,000 nautical miles to go before she reaches the finish line in Antigua.
"Rowing solo across the world’s second largest ocean is pushing Lara to
her physical and mental limit," said Lara's sister Rebecca. "There is a reason why more people have climbed Mount Everest than have rowed across the Atlantic.
“We have been closely following her progress. As you can imagine it’s pretty anxiety-inducing stuff having your sister out in the middle of the Atlantic.
“We are all so proud of her endeavours. Lara has really shown true grit and determination and faced some major challenges along the way, but I think she’s now turned a corner and is now churning out some of the biggest mile days we’ve seen since she started.
“If I’m totally honest, Lara hasn’t had an easy ride since she departed La Gomera on December 12, but then they don’t call it ‘the world’s toughest row’ for nothing.
“She has perhaps had a more difficult time than others for the simple reason that our father only passed away in September, so she hasn’t had the time and space needed to allow herself properly to grieve.
READ MORE: Lara Vafiadis battles 40-foot waves in solo Atlantic row
“She knows, however, she has to carry on, never give up, and do him proud.”
We reported previously how Lara has had to battle 40-foot waves and come face-to-face with reef sharks during her epic row.
She says highlights of her time at sea have included conquering her fear of deep water, as she has to regularly clean barnacles off the bottom of her boat, and seeing a moonbow, which is like a rainbow but made of moonbeams.
You can follow Lara’s progress on the YB Races app or via thisgirlrows.com, or donate at https://givestar.io/gs/A44Z65S
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