A WOMAN who is set to take on "the toughest race in the world" is in the final stages of her preparation.
Lara Vafiadis is rowing the Atlantic for the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge.
This is a race so challenging more people have climbed Everest than completed it.
Lara, who grew up in Malvern, sets off from Spain on December 12 this year, rowing for up to 18 hours a day before arriving in Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua and Barbuda.
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.
Waves in the Atlantic can be up to 30ft (9 metres) high.
In a larger ocean-going vessel this is manageable, but in a small 20ft (7.3 metres) rowing boat it can lead to capsizes.
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.
Lara, from Malvern, has been preparing for more than a year for the challenge and has so far raised more than £45,000 for Plan UK, Prostate Cancer UK and Our Only World.
She hopes to raise enough money to donate £25,000 to each charity.
She said: "Rowing solo across the world’s second largest ocean will push me to my physical and mental limit – there is a reason why more people have climbed Mt. Everest than have rowed across the Atlantic.
"The past few years haven't been easy for anyone, and rowing the Atlantic is seeming like a very daunting prospect, which means there is no better time to face the challenge.
"I want to show women and girls everywhere that we can achieve anything when we believe in ourselves."
For more information or to donate, go to linktr.ee/This_Girl_Rows
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