The Team

Going home for a while…

The Team By

We had lots of fun on The Saturday Show this morning with Matt Barbet and Gaby Roslin before we all went our separate ways. The plan is for us to head home for a week to our respective families and give ourselves some time to reflect on the journey we have just completed.

This will be the first time we have been apart for the last 9 months!

The Saturday Show

UPDATE:

**Daily blogs to begin again on Monday**

All 6 of us will be writing over the next few weeks to keep you updated with our reflections, insights, comings and goings, ideas, events and readjustments to being back on land.

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Moving into the post-row world

The Team By

We have always said that this project was in 3 stages: (1) getting to the start line (2) crossing the Pacific (3) completing our fundraising and sharing our journey. This week, we have been starting stage (3) in ernest. This morning we had a break from the media whirlwind in the morning and, after a crew meeting over a coffee, we headed to the offices of Breast Cancer Care to catch up with the team there that have been such a great support to us. It was lovely to see Sarah, Alice, Claire and Steve and also to meet the wider team at BCC and to share some of our stories with them. We still have a huge amount of fundraising to do for Breast Cancer Care and Walking With The Wounded if we are to meet our £250,000 target, so we look forward to working with both charities over the coming months as the ‘post-row’ stage of our project continues.

Next stop was a meeting with Catherine Spencer of Inspiring Women and event manager Laura, who are presenting and organising our gala charity fundraising event. We had a great brainstorm over a cup of tea and made some good plans. We are so excited about our event, which we hope will be a high profile, glamorous celebration of our own Pacific crossing, adventure, sport and our wonderful charities. We want to raise as much money as possible for Breast Cancer Care and Walking With The Wounded, so if you are reading this and think that you’d like to buy a ticket or a table, or sponsor or contribute to our event in ANY way at all, we’d LOVE to hear from you. Please email info@coxlesscrew.com or catherine@inspiringwomen.co.uk.
Finally, Meg dashed off to appear on BBC Radio Kent and BBC South East. She has a sore throat (that’s what being in the real world around other people will do for you!), but was a champion and did a fab job with a very husky voice.
Meg Radio Kent
This evening we are all in separate places: catching up with family, friends, preparing to get to a hen do, sorting things out in the office! We need to get an early night to continue catching up on all our sleep – tomorrow morning will be another early start as we’re on the Saturday Show on Channel 5.
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Media frenzy!

The Team By

It’s been an amazing couple of days. We arrived at Heathrow on Tuesday evening to a reception of family and friends and it has been a media whirlwind ever since.

Arrival home

Yesterday started with Natalia visiting Radio 4 to speak on the Today Show and then we all headed to GSK Human Performance Lab for re-testing. We have been working with GSK HPL since the preparation stages of the row and we last saw them just before we departed for San Francisco in April when they did body composition, bone density and physiology testing on the team. Yesterday, we had the same tests performed and were able to see the changes to our bodies after 9 months at sea.

GSK

After GSK, we hot footed it over to the BBC and returned as guests on The One Show. It was great to see Alex and Matt again and to be back in the studio as The One Show have followed our journey from the start. We also go to meet Jack Black! As a huge surprise, The One Show had made contact with Guinness World Records and announced to us live on air that our new World Records have been officially verified. The Coxless Crew are the first female and the first 4s boat to have crossed the Pacific Ocean!

The One Show

For a little bit of R&R we went out for dinner after the show with Keith Goddard, our sports psychologist (of Zeus Performance Psychology), and Ella, our social media queen. It was great to catch up with them at Byrons over burgers, but we’re going to have to stop eating like this soon, now that we’re no longer rowing 12 hours a day!

We kicked off this morning with a trip to ITV to appear on the Lorraine show. It was wonderful meeting Lorraine and the crew, who were so welcoming. While we at ITV, we were lucky enough to meet Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid. Laura met Ben about 4 years ago at the start of the project, so it was great to catch up with him now that we’ve achieved what we set out to. We also bumped into the lovely Marina Fogle, who had a giggle with us about the Fogle/Cracknell blog that Laura wrote during leg 3, and Greg James, who is about to do 5 back-to-back triathlons for Sport Relief, so it was a busy morning!

LorraineBen and Susanna

After some media calls and a team meeting, kindly hosted at Izzy’s offices at Powell Gilbert LLP, we headed to London Live to appear on lunchtime news. It was then straight on to the offices of the Times. Keep an eye out in Monday’s edition of the Times 2 to see what we got up to while we were there!

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A little pampering

The Team By

This morning we were very well looked after by Hairdressers@Work, who very kindly donated their time and skills to help Nats, LP and Meg feel a little more human again!

Hairdressersatwork21

A far cry from the all purpose soap and water bottles we had to use on Doris, this hair washing experience was rather wonderful. Good quality shampoo, a head massage and the end result of clean, soft and manageable hair! They were a little shocked to hear that Nats went 54 days without washing her hair in leg 3.

LP went for a short cut and shape, whereas Meg and Nats opted for a simple trim and blow dry. The before and after shots say it all! A HUGE thank you to Antonella (owner), Shannah and Holli.

Ems will be getting her hair done tomorrow as she was busy sightseeing with her mum this morning.

Hairdressersatwork 3

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Hairdressersatwork 4

Hairdressersatwork 6

The afternoon saw each of us heading back to spend quality time with our respective families and doing some more exploring of the local area. Collectively we have been snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, hugged a Koala, visited Port Douglas and Daintree Rainforest, done a river cruise to see crocodiles, travelled on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and train, done a bungee swing, eaten so much amazing food and frozen yoghurt and are slowly getting back into a monophasic sleeping pattern!! x

 

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Doris heads home

The Team By

This morning we all made our way down to Cairns Cruising Yacht Sqadron to say farewell to Doris. CCYS and in particular Steve Johnson (Commodore) have been absolutely amazing. We can’t thank them enough for helping us take Doris off the water, clean her and help tuck her safely into her container for some R&R.

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She’s heading back to the UK and we will be reunited with her in between 6-8 weeks time when she arrives back home. LP felt a little emotional as it seemed to finally sink in that the journey is over, whereas Natalia, Ems and Meg were devoid of any emotion.

packed

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It’s strange. There is a kind of numbness for most of us at the moment. We need some time to assess how we’re feeling, reflect on what has just happened and re-adjust to being back on land and away from our usual oceanic environment. There are sounds, smells, people and so much visual stimulation everywhere here on land. Our heads feel heavy with tiredness, our legs are stiff and painful as they are getting used to a walking motion again, our callused hands feel hard and rough and all our salt sores are itchy as they begin drying out.

Luckily we had a visit from the amazing Aaron Darrell this afternoon who is a freelance masseuse based out of Rusty’s Markets in Cairns and he helped us to relax and begin to wind down. It was pure bliss and after the foot, hand, face and neck massage we floated away feeling fantastic.

We will all be spending a few days quality time with our respective families and then re-uniting as a team before flying back to the UK.

We have been blown away by the friendliness of everyone we have come across and the endless support we have received since we arrived x
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We would also just like to say A HUGE thank you to:

Ferne and Pete Kemp at Cairns Queens Court for very kindly hosting our stay here in Cairns and looking after our families so well too! It’s been wonderful to be so central and to have such amazing beds to sleep in!!

John and Megg Kennedy (Motoryacht ‘Sanrod’) who were incredible with their help and support. They had a few early starts when they came out about 60 miles to film us with Sarah before our arrival and also helped escort us back to Cairns.

Marlin Marina did a wonderful job of hosting our arrival and it was the perfect place to step foot on land in Cairns. Their hospitality was very much appreciated.

The Cairns Yacht Club and in particular Trish Chalmers – thank you so much for your support and we are honoured to have received your burgee.

The attending officers of Cairns Border Control and The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources for their compassion, efficiency and professionalism in conducting our arrival clearance formalities.

The Salt House in particular Vincent and Leila for providing the incredible platter of fresh fruit and our first food on arrival (burger and chips for most of us).

Paul and Sue Nash (managers at The Villas Palm Cove) – offering discounted accommodation for some family members and providing accommodation and use of a vehicle to Tony.

…Last but by no means least is the fantastic Mayor of Cairns, Bob Manning OAM. What a welcome we received and the most beautiful arrival gifts of a traditional necklace and bracelet and stunning silk scarf. You managed to make us feel like ladies again! Thank you.

Coxless Crew with Mayor Manning

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We crossed our Pacific!

The Team By

It has been an overwhelming whirlwind of emotions, celebrations, media commitments and Australian hospitality and friendship since we reached Cairns yesterday morning. Our feet haven’t touched the ground and it seems so surreal that we have completed this amazing once in a lifetime challenge and will not be getting back on to Doris.

Arrival hugs - Courtsey of Losing Sight of Shore

 

Our final approach to the Marlin Marina saw us being escorted by a fleet of sailing boats, hobie kayaks and other small craft and as we got closer we saw the crowds of people on the wall. As soon as we all saw our parents cheering us home we were all overwhelmed by emotion. A press conference, a cold drink, some fresh fruit and a tasty burger awaited us on dry land. Since then we have been blown away by the support coming at us from so many people.

Over the next few days we will be spending time with families and trying to catch up on a bit of sleep so will be only writing short update blogs but once back in the UK we will be resuming normal blog service as we return home and continue the Coxless Crew story. We still have a fundraising target of £250k for our charities Breast Cancer Care and Walking With The Wounded. Among other things, we are excitedly planning a fundraising gala dinner to take place in April in partnership with Inspiring Women, which will be a fantastic celebration of our row and our charities. The journey isn’t over yet!

Tony and his angels - courtesy of Losing Sight of Shore

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Leg 3, Day 5 – Bittersweet

Lizanne Van Vuuren By

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”
Haruki Murakami

 

I’m on the edge of bittersweet. Happy and sad, completely changed, yet still the same. The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind, and after 97 days at sea I almost can’t believe that I am actually back on dry land.
Sunrise

 

The first thing that struck me was the incredible love and support that has radiated around us. I am still catching up on messages and emails, and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who shared and supported our journey. We certainly felt the love out on the ocean, but it is only since being back on land that I realise just how much love we have been showered with.

The last few days on the boat was the toughest for me; it was all coming to an end. It was beyond the sea sickness, enduring the sweltering heat or fighting the wind and currents. That was all physical; something our bodies got used to and was able to push through. We got strength from the fact that we knew our circumstances will change. The midday sun will be replaced by the cool shimmer of the moon, the rough waters will be replaced by calmer seas and the current will push against us one day and go with us the next. It’s easy when you figure out that what goes up must come down and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It does something to your psyche that helps you persevere, while munching on Oreos and singing “Defying Gravity”. As for my last few days… this was it.

My new challenge has been dealing with the end. I’ve never been good with endings, and I’m pretty sentimental; be it the end of school, university, relationships or the row, I don’t like it when something comes to an end. Luckily I know this about myself so I have allowed myself time to let the previous three months sink in before bouncing back to my old life.

When something ends, I try to be respectful of the impact it has had on my life and so I don’t rush into something else straight away. What can I learn from it and what will I change after it? I’ve been asked many times “so, what’s next?”… There will be a next challenge, (land based!) but for now I will eat, sleep and allow my body time to get its strength back.

My body is slowly removing all signs of the row. My muscles are getting used to standing for long periods of time again and the calluses on my hands are slowly disappearing. My body clock doesn’t wake every two hours, but I wake up very early. I am in Australia at the moment, so still have not returned to work.

As much as I don’t like endings, I am excited to head back to Cape Town and get back to my old routine. Since being back on land I have enjoyed a big, stable bed, showers and clean skin, normal food (!) and seeing my family. I am also excited to join Izzy and Ella on the “behind the scenes team” organising fundraisers, the arrival into Cairns and social media etc. The journey is not over yet.

 

On a complete side note, if anyone is or knows of an Osteopath who would like to work in Cape Town, I’m looking for an associate to join my practice. Email me at lizanne@coxlesscrew.com for more info

 

Sunset

 

So what are the lessons that I learned?

Challenges can be fun

I have learned that in order to complete any challenge the connotation doesn’t have to be sombre. Challenges can be fun, and you can laugh through anything. There’s a time and a place, sure, but when the tears have dried up, make a joke. Laughter carried us all through the rough times

The importance of teamwork

I can talk about this for hours. Our team worked well because we are all different and we lived by our team values; Strength, Perseverance, Integrity, Resilience, Inspiration and Trust. We supported each other, encouraged and listened. When one person was down the others picker her up.

Build a team around you, everyone needs a support system.

Women are strong

You don’t have to be a man to do epic challenges like this. Over the past few months I have become acutely aware of the strength women possess. Magical things happen when a group of determined women put their heads together and work towards a goal.

You can do absolutely anything you set your mind to….

As cliché as this sounds, it’s true. Start small and you will find yourself at the foot of your own Pacific.

 

The row changed a part of me which I’m finding very difficult to explain. I’m still the same person, I’ve just been refined.

 

I miss the girls, but I am extremely excited to follow Megs journey on the boat. She is amazing and will contribute so much to the team.

 

UPDATE:
We’ve just passed the 200 mile mark. Woohooooo!
Nights have been pitch black since we left Samoa with thick cloud cover and no sight of the moon. She’s now beginning to wax, so hopefully she’ll come and introduce herself to Meg tonight or tomorrow.
There’s been a gentle increase in wind and swell and so Meg now has to contend with bigger waves and splashing. She’s slowly learning the rules of the sea…and we’re all observing them afresh with her.

 

Lizanne x

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The final day on land…

The Team By

The final day on land…

We have just finished our last day on land before we reach Australia. At 10am tomorrow (8pm tonight UK time) we will head off on Doris for the final leg of our journey to Cairns. As always the last day before departure was a busy one. Laura had the morning off so Ems, Nats and Megs packed the final items on to Doris and finished off the final boat preparations while Tony went on the hunt for the last items on the shopping list. He’s now visited pretty much every shop in Samoa and has the best collection of holiday snaps I’ve ever seen! The amazing Nicola Mills had found us some foam for our seat cushions and came for a visit to entertain us while we worked. The suncream monitor was not doing her job though and allowed her to get a little bit toasted in the midday sun. At lunch time we were lucky enough to have Zita Martel come down to see us on the boat. Zita is the first female skipper of the traditional Samoan longboats and a hugely inspirational woman and we loved hearing about her success in breaking down the stereotypes in a male dominated sport.

With final preparations more or less done we had a lovely final dinner with some of the amazing people of Samoa who have made our time here so special. A huge thank you to Nicola who can organise anything, Xavier for providing endless help and support and introducing us to the Samoan Voyaging Society and Sylvia who has allowed us to stay in her beautiful guesthouse all together. We are all really sad to be saying goodbye to Samoa and its beautiful people. We all feel like we’ve had a bit more of a rest than we did in Hawaii and are feeling as ready as we ever will to take on the final and possibly most challenging leg of our journey.

Us with Xavier

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An epic afternoon…

The Team By

Today began with Emma and Nats being kindly taken out on the Gaualofa, a traditional twin hulled sailing canoe, the one that escorted us in on our arrival. Ems got to get her hands on the biggest oar she’s ever handled, so she technically steered the boat which is over 3 times the size of Doris.

Meanwhile LP made the most of a quiet house, so she got to catch up with a few of her close friends that she constantly talks about on the boat and who have been an amazing support to her throughout (Heather & Ads, Michelle & Paul, Sarah & Tim, Mary & Darren, Kirsten & Steve- on their honeymoon!).

Meg then went out for a paddle in Doris with Ems, to get familiar with the oars before she sits in the driving seat on Tuesday morning (Monday evening in the UK) for launch of the final leg! Thankfully she quotes ‘I quite enjoyed rowing’ Wonder if that will be the same thought by Cairns?!

We then had an epic afternoon! Sarah Moshman and crew had found this beautiful waterfall spot; Sopoaga Falls, so we went there for some filming and a photoshoot with Alana Fickes.

We then went on to one of the world’s most beautiful water spots; To Sua Ocean Trench. It was unbelievable. The water so clear, turquoise blue and bath temperature and what made it even more special, was that there was no one else there! If this was in Europe, it would be heaving with tourists and locals everyday, so to have it to ourselves was very special. It certainly has made rowing to Samoa worth it along with everyone and everything else on this Island.

It was topped off with a fresh coconut and bananas bought as a car snack on the drive home, wish we could get these on our commutes to work back home!

So with only one full day left, tomorrow is full of last minute.com on the boat and personal preparations for launch on Tuesday morning (Monday evening UK time). We hope to set off about 10am local time, but first things first, we will only leave once we have polished off a significantly huge breakfast!

Xx

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