Back home

Hi everyone,

Sorry it's taken so long for me to reply but yes, i am back at home now. After reaching dry land on the 25th June, I stayed in Mauritius for a week and then flew back to the UK. I have slowly been adjusting to being back on dry land, walking and generally being around people again. The change has been tougher than i thought as life is totally different to on the boat!

Apart from being physically and mentally exhausted, i also lost quite a bit weight so have been enjoying eating non-dehydrated food and have put it all back on very quickly. As i had put a lot on before i went i lost around 20kgs in weight. I am now back to normal and regaining some fitness and strength. Most people don't realise how weak you are when you finish and think you should be very fit but it's the opposite. You're fitness increases for the first few weeks but after that the 12 hours of rowing and the conditions slowly break your body down and there is huge muscle wastage. Thankfully the rowing muscles are still kind of there and i have already had my first race of the sprint season! You can't keep me out of a boat for long. I still have a few issues with ligament and nerve damage in my fingers and hands and my bum hasn't fully recovered either but generally i am in good health. In fact, everyone was surprised how well i looked when we finished (excluding the weight loss which was soon sorted out by the hotel's breakfast buffet!).

I kept a diary whilst on the boat and in due course will post more about the row and all the drama but until then can i just say thank you for all the support over the last 4 months, not only for me but also for the people left behind. Adventures like this are often harder on family and friends than the actual competitors with the constant worry and fear - we just get on with it!

Thank you again

Helen