Mum completes 3,000-mile solo row across Atlantic Ocean

A mother-of-two from East Dunbartonshire has completed a 3,000-mile charity row across the Atlantic.

Leanne Maiden, 42, from Bearsden, near Glasgow, set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands on 13 December as part of the World's Toughest Row.

It was intended to be completed as a pair, but Leanne's partner pulled out leaving her to take on a solo effort.

Arriving in Antigua, Leanne said she wanted her feat to inspire her children to be "ambitious and crazy".

Originally from South Africa, Leanne moved to Scotland 20 years ago.

She works as an osteopath and is mother to sons, Ruaridh, eight, and seven-year-old Blair.

She said she knew that leaving the boys and husband Craig for such a long time would be hard, but "very few kids can say their mum rowed the Atlantic Ocean".

"I'm just an ordinary woman - I'm a mum," she said.

"I did this for my children to inspire them to step out of their comfort zone, and if I can inspire anyone to step out of their comfort zone it's worth 66 days at sea."

The World's Toughest Row is the largest international event in ocean rowing - with two annual races across the Atlantic and Pacific.

The Atlantic race begins in early December with up to 40 teams joining from around the world.

Leanne rowed up to 70 nautical miles in a day through all weathers.

She typically rowed for up to 14 hours, with no toilet on board - just a bucket.

As well as the physical and mental effort of rowing an ocean, she acknowledged the challenge posed by extreme social isolation.

Leanne added: "I have never lived alone and I'm not even sure I have ever spent more than 12 hours in my own company."

Only 34 solo females have attempted to row across the Atlantic Ocean.

She is the first South African woman to complete the challenge

The death last month of former Australian spy Alisdair Putt, who was skippering a rowing boat in the same race, also cast a shadow over the event.