In late 2020, Hannah Walton, Flo Ward and Georgie Leech made history as they broke the record of the youngest female trio to row across the Atlantic.
All three women began rowing at University as novices and graduated in 2015. The trio consisted of two University of Bristol graduates, Hannah (who studied Spanish) and Flo (who studied Geography) who were both members of UBBC and were joined in their boat, the fantastically named ‘Dolly Parton’, alongside Lancaster graduate Georgie. Hannah fondly remembers her time as a member of the UBBC, recalling that her time at Bristol ‘would not have been the same without joining UBBC, the friendships formed during that three years are still some of my strongest today.’
The girls undertook this challenge through The Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, a race that is widely considered one of the most challenging rowing events in the world. They fought ‘waves the size of houses’ for 52 days, 4 hours and 57 minutes across roughly 3,000 miles of the Atlantic, taking turns around the clock to sleep and row.
The girls raised over £13,000 to donate to two charities, ‘Women in Sport’ and ‘Rowing Together for Healthy Minds’. ‘Women in Sport’ aims to end the gender inequalities that are prevalent in sport and increase female participation in sport. ‘Rowing Together for Healthy Minds’ is a charity started in memory of the Bristol student René Zamudio who died by suicide in 2017. ‘RTHM’ works with boat clubs to help spread awareness in both athletes and coaches about depression and how to spot it. René was a Bristol graduate that learnt to row during his time at Bristol University.
This live talk (with Q&A) will be held on the 11th March at 18.30pm
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This article is part of a themed content week celebrating International Women’s Day and women who inspire us.