Mom begins ‘world’s toughest row’ solo across the Atlantic to inspire sons

By Jody Harrison and Ben Barry via SWNS

A woman has set off on the "world’s toughest row” across the Atlantic alone - and hopes it will inspire her sons to do "ambitious and crazy things themselves.”

Leanne Maiden, 42, began the 80-day 3,000-mile solo row from La Gomera in the Canaries to Antigua in the Caribbean, this morning (13).

The mom-of-two from Bearsden, Scotland, will face sleep deprivation, salt sores, physical extremes, and the psychological challenges.

Osteopath Leanne originally planned to row as a pair but her partner pulled out just a few months ago, leaving her going solo.

She said until now she's never lived on her own before - or even spent 12 hours alone.

She will raise money for three charities - The Polar Academy UK, The Women’s Fund for Scotland, and The Mabel Foundation.

She said: “It will be incredibly sad to leave my children and my husband, but very few kids can say their mom rowed the Atlantic Ocean.

"We’ll miss each other, but I hope it will inspire them to do ambitious, crazy things themselves.”

Her voyage has been sponsored by Wolfcraig Distillers, and director Jamie Lunn was in La Gomera last week helping her pack her boat.

He said: “We’ve been with her since the beginning. She’s a very special person; so incredibly resilient and inspiring. We can all learn a lot from her."

When Leanne arrives in Antigua, more than 20 of her friends and family are expected to be there to welcome her.

Before her, only 34 solo females have attempted to row across the Atlantic Ocean, and she will be the first South African female to do so.

Leanne, who moved to Scotland from South Africa 20 years ago, added: “Aside from the physical and mental challenge of rowing an ocean I will also be facing the challenge of social isolation.

“I have never lived alone and I’m not even sure I have ever spent more than 12 hours in my own company.

“I have an incredible family and amazing friends and the thought of spending up to 85 days with nothing but my own thoughts feels like it could be very uncomfortable indeed.

"But when I consider the inescapable discomfort that so many people around the world experience on a daily basis for their entire lives, my discomfort pales into insignificance."

Leanne has already raised more than $6,000 for her chosen charities.

She has trained extensively, racking up hundreds of hours on the water.

She called on help from the Maclean brothers who set three records during the same race four years ago.

The world’s toughest row features teams from around the world who gather in the race village San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands all aiming to cross the ocean in a rowing boat