Meg is due to join them for the last leg of their journey in mid-October. In 8 questions, she tells us about rowing the dawn shift, sleep deprivation and sharks.<\/p>\n
1. What motivated you to take on this huge challenge?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n To be honest, I just didn\u2019t know what to do with my life. I have no idea why I applied for the challenge. It\u2019s a question that I am being asked more and more, and I am trying to find the answer to it myself.<\/p>\n The fact that it is all about women in adversity appealed to me. It is all women who are doing this and aiming to break those records, and Breast Cancer Care and Walking for the Wounded are charities that are close to my heart. The team has a belief that \u201ceveryone crosses their own Pacific\u201d.<\/p>\n 2. Can you describe the training that you have been doing in the lead-up to the row?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Yes; I have had to put on 10-15 kilos for the row! Training itself is all weight lifting with no cardio involved. It\u2019s all about growing muscles and being prepared that we\u2019ll lose all the weight on the boat.<\/p>\n 3. What are you most excited about the row?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The stars. And at the minute there is a shark circling the boat. I don\u2019t know what type of shark it is \u2013 hopefully not a man-eating one! So stuff like that is absolutely terrifying but it\u2019s also amazing to see that kind of wildlife.<\/p>\n We also need to have so many different checks on our body like stress levels and sleep deprivation, so I am excited about pushing my body to the limit to see how far it can go.<\/p>\n 4. What do you think will be the hardest part of the challenge and how will you motivate yourself to carry on when the going gets tough?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I really think the hardest part is going to be sleep deprivation, as we are rowing two hours on, two hours off for the whole journey. And not eating fresh fruit and vegetables. Facing the unknown will be a challenge because it\u2019s really difficult to prepare for it, you just don\u2019t know how you are going to feel \u2013 apparently as soon you can\u2019t see land anymore, some people freak out.<\/p>\n But we\u2019ve got a psychologist who works with us really closely to prepare us for the unknown things that are going to happen to our bodies.<\/p>\n 5. What are you most and least looking forward to about life on the boat?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m really looking forward to getting to know the four girls and spending so much time with them. And I\u2019m least looking forward to going to the toilet in a bucket! Also, motivating myself to get back behind the oars and row the dawn shift between 3-5am, which is the worst shift.<\/p>\n 6. How do you feel about becoming part of a possibly record-breaking team?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Really freaking excited. I think it blows my mind a bit that I\u2019ve been included in this when I\u2019ve never rowed before. I don\u2019t really know why they chose me. I had to go through a lot of psychological tests and it\u2019s all about how you bond as a team. I\u2019m just so happy to be given this opportunity.<\/p>\n 7. With an all-female team and the row dedicated to women\u2019s charities there is a big message being sent. What message do you have for other women hoping to take on similar challenges?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve been reading all these different quotes to keep me empowered. I think the biggest one is \u201cchoose your attitude\u201d \u2013 you can do it and don\u2019t ever let anyone tell you that you can\u2019t. It doesn\u2019t matter what gender you are.<\/p>\n 8. And when you reach land what will be the first thing that you do?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A shower! A shower and then a drink. To be honest, it will be seeing my family again. I can\u2019t even imagine what that will feel like. There will be a big reception with the media when we reach land, but to be honest, at this stage I can\u2019t even see that far into the future. It\u2019s more about just getting onto the boat!<\/p>\n You can follow the Coxless Crew’s journey via a live tracker on their website, coxlesscrew.com<\/a> or on their Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a> pages. Text DORIS to 70300 to donate \u00a33 to support their fundraising efforts on behalf of Breast Cancer Care and Walking With The Wounded.<\/p>\n
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