21yearold Jasmine Harrison completed the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 70 days, 3 hours and 48 minutes—a new world record for the youngest female to row alone across the Atlantic.
Harrison, who's from North Yorkshire, England, didn't have loads of experience in rowing long distances. In her childhood, she could not even dream of such an ambition. She'd only got the idea three years earlier when she happened to be in Antigua, teaching swimming, and saw the end of the 2017 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. "Talking to a family member of a young man that had just completed it, I got to know just how amazing a thing it was. I didn't say ‘not a chance I would do that,' but it was more a fact of why not do it？" she said.
Every day, Harrison would row for about 12 hours, pushing her 550pound boat she bought with some money across the ocean, covering roughly 90 kilometers. The journey left her with much time all by herself, which she said she enjoyed. But things got a little harder after her speaker fell in the water and she could no longer listen to her music.
She had other company along the way. She saw lots of sea life, including several whales. One even rose out of the ocean right next to her boat. "I'm in their environment," she said. "It's just amazing. "
Twice, her boat was turned over in the night by large waves. The second time, she hurt her arm quite badly. Another time, she nearly ran into a ship. When her food ran out, she lived on cookies and chocolate. In the face of great hardship and loneliness, she kept going.
On February 20, 2021, she reached the island of Antigua—the end of the journey. She celebrated her arrival with a burger and fries.
