Solo Atlantic rower Miriam Payne finishes in race record time

An East Yorkshire woman has completed a solo rowing race across the Atlantic Ocean in a record time.

Miriam Payne, 23, from Market Weighton, set off from the Canary Islands on 12 December and reached Antigua in the Caribbean on Friday.

She was greeted on the quayside by her parents and cheering supporters as she crossed the finishing line.

Her time of 59 days, 16 hours and 36 minutes was a race record for a solo woman.

She said the experience had left her "absolutely knackered".

"I was so tired, I just wanted to get to the end so I could stop rowing," she said.

She added that hearing her family and supporters shouting gave her a "burst of energy".

"The last eight to 10 miles were actually really hard.

"It's that point where you know you're there and you've done it, but you just have to finish it off.

"So eight miles is nothing in the grand scheme of 3,000 or whatever, but it felt like some of the longest."

Ms Payne took part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge to raise money for mental health charities in East Yorkshire.

She said she believed women's health issues were underfunded so wanted to "raise awareness of this problem".

The annual 3,000-mile (4,828km) challenge is described as "the world's toughest row" and attracts dozens of competitors from around the world.

Ms Payne was the third solo rower to arrive in St John's harbour in her boat Seas the Day 2022.

Competitors have to be totally self-reliant and cannot accept any kind of support, carrying out repairs themselves and carrying all the water and food needed for the journey.

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