The World’s Toughest Row

In November 2024 the Rotary Club of King’s Lynn donated £300 towards the cost of a trans-Atlantic trip aimed at raising money for a children’s brain-cancer charity, Abbie’s Army.

One of the four rowers in the 9 x 2 metre boat, Atlantic Fushion, was Molly Hemeter, a former Head Girl of King Edward VII School. There were three women and one man in the crew.

They set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands and rowed 3000 nautical miles to Antigua in the Caribbean. It took them 44 days, 5 hours and 45 minutes, starting on 11 December 2024 and finishing on 24 January 2025.

The crew rowed 24 hours a day, doing 2 hours on and 2 hours off, so each member rowed for 12 hours a day.

They experienced major challenges on the trip. The winds always seemed to be in the wrong direction and they either had stormy weather with huge waves of up to 30 feet or no winds at all.

Their diet consisted of dried food, reconstituted with hot water, along with sweet and savoury snacks.

Despite the many problems they faced, including illness and accidents, including two broken oars, they came an 13th out of 38 crews and they claimed an excellent second place in the mixed-gender class.

Photo credit Penny Bird

In total after the sale of the boat they will have raised some £65,000 for the charity, Abbie’s Army.

Rotary Past President Mel Robson with Molly Hemeter Photo Credit Michael Walker