Atlantic solo rower from Sheffield spends Christmas at sea

Ananya Prasad

The first woman of colour to row across the Atlantic will spend Christmas Day at sea - but said she has mince pies and mulled wine at the ready to mark the occasion.

Ananya Prasad, 34, set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands two weeks ago and still has around two months to go before she reaches Antigua.

She is raising money for the Mental Health Foundation and an orphanage in India, but also wants to help boost diversity in adventure sports and rowing, she said.

Ms Prasad, from Sheffield, told the BBC: "This will be one of the most unique Christmases and New Years I'll ever have."

She is attempting the World's Toughest Row challenge alone and said there have been fewer than 25 women who have rowed across an ocean solo.

She described the solitude as "unsettling" but is able to receive Whatsapp messages from friends and family.

She said: "This will be my first Christmas on my own so it will be a bit hard hard but I'm choosing to do this.

"But I've got lots of letters and small presents and Christmas cards and I've taken a lot of Christmas playlists.

"I also have mince pies and some mulled wine."

Ms Prasad said the weather has been "quite stormy and rough" since she set off but is hopeful it will improve in the next few weeks.

She started training for the 3,000-mile crossing four years ago.

"I never came from a nautical or sailing or rowing background so it's something I have had to learn," Ms Prasad said.

She is using a specially-built 25ft ocean rowing boat and has to know her vessel "inside out".

Born in Bengaluru, India, Ms Prasad moved to the UK with her family when she was five and has always had a passion for exercise, the outdoors and adventure.

Ananya Prasad

She continued: "It's a privilege to choose your purpose and choosing to have this experience and that keeps me going during the bad days."

She is supporting the Mental Health Foundation due to her own struggles and because it is "ridiculously and unnecessarily stigmatised".

The other charity she chose, her uncle's orphanage and school, is called the Deenabandhu Trust, and is where she has volunteered during trips with her family.

And while women of colour have completed the journey as part of a team, Ms Prasad hopes her mission to become the first to do so alone will herald a change in the sport.

She added: "I hope to add some more form of diversity to the outdoors and encourage others from different backgrounds to do different things."

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