I am a 38 year old Brit who spent 10 years working as a Graphic Designer. One day I decided I had had enough of sitting at a desk, staring at a computer and that 9-5 routine. In 2015 I took a 9 month sabbatical from my job and I set off to hike the Pacific Crest Trail and climb Mera Peak in the Himalayas. It was an experience that would change the course of my life.

Going back to work was one of the hardest things I have ever done and I found myself sinking into a depression. When I cried at my desk I knew it was time to make a big change. So in 2016 I quit my job and decided to return to America to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in the other direction. Followed by hiking the Te Araroa which covers the length of New Zealand.

When I had finished hiking I hitchhiked my way from the southern tip of the South Island back up to Auckland and I flew to Sydney. When I got to Sydney I bought a bike, called it Priscilla, and together we cycled across Australia. From Sydney to Melbourne to Adelaide and then straight up through the middle to Darwin.

Priscilla and I then spent 2 months travelling around Indonesia, cycling, relaxing in the Gili Islands, doing yoga and climbing Mt Rinjani, before heading home to prepare for next adventure.

In 2018 I had my first experience of ocean rowing when I rowed across the English Channel. Despite the sea sickness and the rough seas it would’t put me off the ocean forever, but before dipping my toes in the water again I went to hike the Appalachian Trail.

2019 saw me planning for the next big thing – rowing across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. A full on year of planning and fundraising still allowed for a mini-break and in September I hiked the John Muir Trail.

I rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in January 2020, gaining two world records after 60 days on the ocean (blog posts coming soon) and arriving in Antigua to news of Covid-19. We just made it home before the world went into lockdown and the madness of this year has meat the Indian Ocean row is postponed until 2021.