In December 2024, Team Ocean Empower comprised of Fiona, Deborah, Dawn and Kerry will be taking part in the World’s Toughest Row. An all women ocean rowing team from the UK, we will leave La Gomera in the Canary Islands, on a 3000 mile unsupported journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Antigua.

This challenge will take us all to physical and mental extremes. We will battle through fatigue, hallucinations, sore hands and salt blisters, as we row 2 hours on, 2 hours off for the duration of the race. More people have reached the summit of Everest or travelled into space than successfully rowed an ocean!

Why are we doing this? Through our campaign, EMPOWERED, our main aim is to raise £50,000 for our chosen charitable organisations, The Charlie Waller Trust, Phoenix Heroes CIC and Oxfordshire Community Foundation (The Project PT)*, and to help raise awareness of mental health challenges and how we can be empowered to overcome them. Our charitable organisations share a common goal to enhance mental health and wellbeing through education, physical activity interventions and empowerment projects.

Why the EMPOWERED campaign? Individuals who are struggling with depression, anxiety, and trauma or stress-related disorders can often feel worthless and do not feel empowered to change their life. By raising awareness of the feelings associated with these conditions, the help available, and self-help practices that can combat these feelings, we want every person to know that their lives are not worthless, and there is so much more to a person than the circumstances they find themselves in. We all have different strengths, capabilities and talents that can empower us to overcome challenges in our life, we just need to understand what they are, and to have confidence in ourselves to overcome the challenges. As a team of four middle-aged women, we want to show that by rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, we are all capable, if we have the right support, coping mechanisms and motivations. If our campaign empowers just one person to overcome their own challenges, our struggle to row 3000 miles will be worth it, because our struggle is nothing compared to someone who feels their life is not worth it.

If you would like to get behind our EMPOWERED row and help our charitable organisations, we would really appreciate your support.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit our givewheel page.

* Ocean Empower are raising funds for The Project Pt to support their Lift Youth initiative, a transformative, referral-based exercise programme which provides young people not in education, employment or training with the opportunity to explore new interests and develop a range of skills. In addition, participants gain invaluable work experience through a 30-hour placement, helping them to build a foundation for future success. The fund is being held and managed by Oxfordshire Community Foundation.