‘We got bored of real life' – UK women ready for pioneering row across Pacific
Miriam Payne, 25, from East Yorkshire, and Jess Rowe, 28, from Hampshire, are planning to set off from Peru on Friday as they look to complete an 8,000km journey.
The duo hope to raise £50,000 as part of the mission for Outward Bound Trust, a UK-based charity which helps children develop lifelong skills through adventure.
'I think we got bored of real life,' Ms Payne told the PA news agency.
'At this point we're so ready to get out there and get away from this chaos and all the packing and planning – it's been a long process.'
Ms Rowe added: 'We absolutely love being at sea and the simple life as well – I think we might even get a bit more sleep out there!'
Ms Payne and Ms Rowe plan to row in alternating two-hour shifts, and predict it will take around six months to reach Australia, aiming for Sydney Harbour.
The pair met in 2022 in the Canary Islands when they were preparing for The World's Toughest Row – previously known as the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – for which they rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic.
Ms Payne broke the race record for the fastest female solo row, which was also her first sea race, while Ms Rowe participated with a team of four women called Full Throttle, winning the female race and Murden Cup.
'Coincidentally, we both signed up to row the Atlantic the same year, and we chatted a bit online beforehand and then met at the start line, and became really good friends through that,' said Ms Payne.
'Jess was working on yachts at the time, so I did it solo, she did it as part of a four, and she was there in Antigua for my arrival.
'I think it was the sole reason why I had a really good arrival party, because she brought all her friends and stuff like that and within a few days we were sat on the end of my hotel bed figuring out 'what's the next big adventure we could do?''
Alongside working full-time office jobs, both women have spent two years preparing for the expedition, driving around the country on weekends to train in Hartlepool and Chichester.
Challenges will include sleep deprivation, large waves, potential injuries, capsizing, and sea traffic in areas such as Lima, where there will be large container ships.
'There's lots of things that can go wrong out there, it is a very dangerous environment,' said Ms Rowe.
Meanwhile, although the trip is expected to take around six months, Ms Payne acknowledged that they do not have control over the elements.
'I think ultimately it's that respect for the ocean and it is up to Mother Nature to decide,' she said.
'There's a lot of people saying you conquer the ocean but you absolutely don't.'
The pair will be entirely self-sufficient during the expedition and have learned to fix things on the boat including their water maker, electronics, seats and oars.
Both women completed first aid training to deal with any injuries and also have the support of a TeleMed service, a remote healthcare service which will give the crew 24-hour access to a doctor.
They aim to eat 5,000 calories a day, and they will use a desalinator, a device which removes salt and other minerals from seawater, to create fresh drinking water.
The duo have been in Peru for a month and wanted to set off earlier than their start date, but their boat was delayed in customs for two weeks.
They said they will return to their jobs at the end of the expedition, but the campaign will not end there as they plan to carry out talks at schools and to continue working with the Outward Bound Trust.
To find out more about their fundraising, visit: givestar.io/gs/AGS4ZMK.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Former Ryder Cup captain to help lay out new golf course in Wisconsin
Wisconsin native and former Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker will serve as a player consultant on a new course to be built in the southern section of the state less than an hour from Milwaukee. Stricker will join forces with Jackson Kahn Design and architect Scott Hoffman to lay out what will be become the private Kettle Forge in Ashippun. Wisconsin already is one of the best golf states in the U.S., especially on the public-access side with destinations such as Whistling Straits and the other courses at Kohler, Sand Valley and Erin Hills. Kettle Forge, with an anticipated opening in 2027, is about eight miles west of Erin Hills, which hosted the 2015 U.S. Open as well as this year's U.S. Women's Open. Nebraska-based Landscapes Unlimited will build the course on 270 acres. Its sister company, Landscapes Golf Management, will operate the club as well as oversee the course grow-in and handle membership sales at Kettle Forge. 'This is pure, unadulterated golf without tennis and swimming,' Bill Kubly – chairman of Landscapes Unlimited, a principal of Kettle Forge and a Wisconsin native – said in a media release announcing the course. 'Based on our work at Lost Rail outside Omaha, Kettle Forge is likely to reach a full membership before the course opens.' The Kettle in the name refers to local glacial kettles (steep-sided hollows) and mounds in the landscape. Holes on the 7,600-yard course will traverse wetlands and feature wide fairways across dramatic elevation changes. The clubhouse and guest cottages will be located atop a big hill with 20-mile panoramic views. 'Kettle Forge will uniquely look like a natural preserve with grasses, wildflowers and wetlands,' Brett Craig – a Wisconsin resident, former president and COO of Transitions Optical and a principal of Kettle Forge – said in the media release. 'It promises to be a course that attracts repeat play – fair to members yet exhilaratingly difficult for those who desire challenge amid rugged elegance and timeless appeal.'
Axios
3 hours ago
- Axios
Top 6 must-try Middle Eastern cafés in Charlotte
The Charlotte area is gaining a number of culturally rich coffee shops — from late-night cups of joe to traditional cuisine, here are six Middle Eastern spots worth visiting. Qamaria This new Yemeni coffee shop opens in University City on Aug. 22. Stop by: 9325 JW Clay Blvd. next to Crazy Legs. Free parking is available in the parking deck of the JW Clay Station light rail stop. It'll be open 7am to midnight on weekdays and 7am–1am on Fridays and Saturdays. Vavela Cafe This locally owned Turkish coffee shop is open late in University City. Stop by: 440 E. McCullough Drive, on the second floor of McCullough Commons, above Mike's Vegan Grill. Open Sunday through Thursday 7am–1am and Friday and Saturday 7am–2am. Charlotte's first Yemeni coffee shop now has multiple locations in the area. Open Monday through Friday 6am–11pm and Saturday and Sunday 7am–11pm. Qahwah House This Yemeni coffee shop chain is in Plaza Midwood where Stroke used to be. Stop by: 1318 Pecan Ave. Open Sunday through Thursday 7am–11pm and Friday and Saturday 7am to midnight. This locally owned Turkish cafe in north Charlotte focuses on traditional pastries and dishes. Stop by: 1520 Overland Park Lane, in the former Jazzy Cheesecakes spot. Open Monday 8am–9pm, closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8am–9pm, Friday 8am–10pm, Saturday 9am–10pm and Sunday 9am–9pm. This Yemeni restaurant and cafe in east Charlotte stays open until 1am. Stop by: 3145 N. Sharon Amity Road. Open daily 9am–1am. Haraz will open its third location at Verde at McCullough Station in University City, and a Michigan-based Yemeni coffee shop called Bayt Al Mocha is expected to open in NoDa.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
The truth about the commission airline staff earn on booze, bag charges and scratch-cards
You don't need to watch one of those fly-on-the-wall documentaries to appreciate that working for an airline can be a stressful job – and one that isn't always handsomely compensated. In theory, then, most of us wouldn't begrudge the opportunity for staff to earn themselves a bonus for good performance. In reality, some bonuses can prove more contentious than you might expect, particularly when customers are kept in the dark about them. For a prime example, look at the comments earlier this summer from Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary – never one to avoid controversy – when he said he wanted to see ground staff given extra money in return for enforcing the airline's notoriously strict baggage rules. Naturally, the comments ruffled some feathers from those who fear the low cost carrier is tough enough with its allowances. Ryanair has since confirmed that its ground staff are already paid a small commission, reportedly around €1.50 per bag intercepted. 'That is likely to rise to €2.50 per bag in October,' says a Ryanair spokesman. 'We are determined to eliminate the scourge of oversized bags which delays our boarding process and annoys the 99.9 per cent of passengers who comply with the rules.' It certainly isn't the first time that Ryanair's 'incentives' have come under the spotlight. It's been known since the mid-2010s that cabin crew were being paid a commission on any on-board sales – including alcohol and scratch-cards – to help the airline make more money. There were also suggestions at the time that staff with lower sales figures were being given less choice over their roster – something that the airline denies. An American invention Like many things in the budget airline world, the practice was pioneered by American carriers, who have become notorious for badgering their passengers to sign up to airline credit cards. According to one Spirit staffer, cabin crew can receive as much as $70 when a customer successfully takes out one of their cards. Either way, these incentives have now become an essential part of the deal when working for low-cost carriers and charter airlines in particular. 'When I worked as cabin crew for a major charter airline, around 40 per cent of my earnings was made up of on-board sales commissions,' says Charlotte Crocker, a former flight attendant who now provides training to cabin crew. 'We would sell duty-free products, headsets, food, drinks and anything else that was available. We weren't put under a huge amount of pressure from the airline, but they would offer extra bonuses – like a pair of designer sunglasses or something similar – to the best sellers.' As for the current incentives, Ryanair pays 10 per cent on all in-flight sales, as does its competitor Wizz Air. There are also extra incentives for high performers: when travel writer Rob Crossan attended a Wizz training day for The Telegraph a few years ago, he found that top sellers were given more choice over which routes they worked, meaning they could pick the higher-spending flights. While commission is still a big deal, the pressure from above has eased up over the years, say insiders, partly due to the number of airlines scrambling to recruit cabin crew. Though the ongoing cost of living crunch means that staff have an extra incentive to earn their bonuses, particularly when the standard salary for low-cost airlines can be around £20,000 per year. As for the legacy carriers, the emphasis on bonuses is much smaller. 'On the short-haul flights you can get commission on food and drink sales, but it's generally a much smaller part of your pay,' says a British Airways staffer. 'It's not like Ryanair where people make money from the non-stop alcohol [sales].' Mixed messages It's all rather intriguing given the general push towards responsible drinking, with Michael O'Leary in particular emerging as an unlikely voice of moderation in recent years. Last year, he even called for airports to enforce a two-drink minimum to help prevent on-board misbehaviour. Though when you weigh up the economics of in-flight hospitality, it's not hard to see why Ryanair might take a slightly different approach towards its own alcohol sales. According to IATA, the global aviation trade body, European airlines generate an average profit of just £6.80 per passenger (indeed if you divide Ryanair's profits by its passenger numbers, you get a very similar number). Those kinds of margins mean that hospitality sales can make a sizeable difference, particularly with alcoholic drinks. According to US industry figures, airlines typically make around 50 per cent profit on every alcoholic drink they sell, not least as they aren't subject to the same taxation rules as restaurants and bars. Even if they pay a 10 per cent bonus to the staff member who sold the drinks, they're still making a healthy profit. As for the baggage fees, Ryanair currently charges up to £75 for each item of over-sized baggage that gets stopped at the gate. If ground staff get €1.50 (or £1.30) for each bag they intercept, they're still getting a much less generous deal than their cabin crew peers. Arguably, they're also doing the far tougher job of having to tell disgruntled customers they need to pay more. Interestingly, the idea of paying bonuses to ground staff gets a thumbs up from cabin crew too. 'Sometimes I think that ground staff don't bother about stopping people with larger bags as they don't want the trouble,' says a flight attendant with one full-service airline. 'But that creates problems for us on board when there isn't enough locker space to go around.' On the other hand, if ground staff had an extra incentive to enforce the rules then passengers would be less inclined to try their luck in the first place. It also means that those who have shelled out the extra cash in order to bring on board more luggage won't feel aggrieved for having wasted their money, they suggest. That's the thing about airline bonuses: we might not always like them, but they do tend to make sense – at least from the perspective of those responsible for keeping the industry moving in the first place. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
