You can watch this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/HGMIqOpH0Ng
In this episode of For the Love of Weather, hosts Gemma and Aisling are joined by adventurers Jess Rowe and Miriam Payne, the first women to complete a non-stop, unsupported row across the Pacific Ocean.
They share their remarkable story of how a conversation about “what next?” soon became one of the world’s toughest record breaking adventures, rowing from Peru to Cairns.
After a devastating equipment failure forced them to abandon their first attempt, they returned to ocean to finish what they started. With two-hour rowing shifts, minimal sleep, limited fresh water, and constant exposure to the weather, every day became a test of resilience.
In this episode, we talk about:
🚣♀️ How Jess and Miriam discovered their love of the ocean and adventure
🌍 The journey from Atlantic rowers to taking on the Pacific
🛠️ Two years of preparation, training, and planning
🌊 The dramatic first attempt, a broken rudder, and a rescue at sea
⏰ The reality of two-hour rowing shifts and surviving on very little sleep
🍫 Eating 5,000 calories a day and the foods they dreamed of while at sea ☀️ Extreme heat, freezing nights, and living completely exposed to the elements 🌦️ How weather forecasts helped them navigate the Pacific
🔋 Managing power failures, broken equipment, and a failing water maker
💧 Hand-pumping water for hours each day while still rowing 🐋 Incredible encounters with whales, dolphins, turtles, and ocean birds
🎧 Passing the time with music, audiobooks, podcasts, and endless conversations
❤️ How their friendship grew stronger after six months alone together
📚 Their next chapter: writing a book and dreaming of future adventures We have been so inspired by these two adventurers, even before they left to row and we absolutely love their message of how the adventure is figuring it out along the way. Whether it’s rowing across an ocean or simply trying something new, Jess and Miriam’s story is a reminder to step outside your comfort zone and see where the journey takes you.
If you would like to find Miriam and Jess https://www.seasthedayoceanrowing.com/
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We hope you leave this episode loving the weather that little bit more.
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