The first ever all-female British Army Force Atlantic team begin a 3,000-mile rowing challenge today.
The team stood in front of their boat at Thorney Island prior to a several day row in preparation for a Trans Atlantic Rowing event.
Team Skiper, Captain Amy O’Brien loads equipment onto the boat at Thorney Island Prior to a training session.
(Pictured L-R) Capt Imy O’Brien, WO1 Sheridan Lucas MBE, Maj Rebecca Glover, Cpl Emma Gibb.
Prior to a training session at Thorney Island the all female Army Team load their boat into the water ready for a several day long rowing session.
The All female Army team set out on a several day rowing expedition from Thorney Island in preparation for a Trans Atlantic Rowing event.
The history-making four-woman crew consists of 22 Multi-Role Medical Regiment's Captain Imogen ‘Imy‘ O'Brien, 6 Regiment RLC Warrant Officer Class One Sheridan Lucas MBE, 1 Medical Regiment's Major Rebecca Glover and Defence Primary Healthcare nurse Corporal Emma Gibb.
They embark on the Atlantic Ocean, starting from the Canary Islands and ending in Antigua after approximately six weeks.
Skipper Imy said: “We are super grateful to be continuing the Force Atlantic legacy and representing the Army.
“We are proud to be promoting service women and women in general, hopefully inspiring others that anything is possible through belonging to something bigger than yourself.”
The gruelling training, while balancing with full-time Army careers, has been extremely testing for the crew, who have limited rowing experience.
"As a team we feel ready on all fronts to tackle what is ahead of us."
Imy said: “Training has gone really well; it has been challenging at times, but we are grateful for this.
“We have been concentrating on all aspects including the physical and mental side to undertaking a challenge like this.
“As a team we feel ready on all fronts to tackle what is ahead of us.
“We have all been so incredibly lucky with how supportive our Chain of Commands have been in helping us keep the balance between doing our day jobs and training on top.
“As a team, we are also incredibly lucky to be supported by six amazing service women in our support team who have helped in so many ways to get us to this point.
“In summary, humans have been the key to keeping some form of balance.”
The team will have to battle sleep deprivation, salt sores and the physical extremes of the Atlantic Ocean, to navigate safely to the finish line.
Our Army careers have definitely helped us in our preparations on so many fronts; we all started with a good fitness base, we all they know the importance of teamwork and developing high performance and had a good foundation of resilience already.
On the preparation for these challenges, Imy said: “Our training has been split into lots of different segments. We have completed a number of water-based hours on our boat Rosie, hitting the gym six times a week and working with our sports psychologist.
“Our Army careers have definitely helped us in our preparations on so many fronts; we all started with a good fitness base, we all they know the importance of teamwork and developing high performance and had a good foundation of resilience already.”
Keeping morale on the long Atlantic ocean stretch will be a challenge, with broken sleep, rotating in two-hour shifts, difficult weather conditions and lack of experience in the 8.5-metre rowing boat.
Imy added: “The more we have immersed ourselves into the world of ocean rowing the more we have realised the importance of variety.
“The variety is where our morale will come from, whether that’s from exciting snacks, good music, quiz questions or thinking about our chosen charity.”
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