{"id":13561,"date":"2025-08-05T12:44:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T12:44:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/?p=13561"},"modified":"2025-08-05T12:45:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T12:45:19","slug":"the-worlds-toughest-row-one-womans-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/the-worlds-toughest-row-one-womans-story\/","title":{"rendered":"The World\u2019s Toughest Row – One woman\u2019s story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aileen McCann,<\/strong>\u00a0one of London’s most competitive functional fitness athletes and an adventurer at heart, shares her experience of competing in The World\u2019s Toughest Row.<\/h2>\n

I participate in competitions to challenge myself both physically and mentally. I’ve learned so much about myself by pushing my body to its limits, finding the human body fascinating in the process. As a coach and trainer, I want to inspire and change lives through movement. I have coached thousands of people individually and in groups, and it\u2019s been a pleasure to be part of their fitness journey and witness the positive changes in each individual’s lifestyle.<\/p>\n

I’ve always been active. My journey began with playing football and basketball in my school years, as well as ballroom dancing outside of school. I trained as a professional dancer at university and eventually transitioned these skills into the health and fitness industry. All these experiences are interconnected through the use of the human body in movement. As they say, “movement is medicine”. For me, movement is my best form of expression. I come alive when I move and I love the feeling it brings.<\/p>\n

On 11th November 2022, I embarked on one of the biggest expeditions of my life \u2013 The World\u2019s Toughest Row. With only six months’ notice, I agreed to cycle from the north to the south of Spain, a total of 688 miles over 12 days. Then, on 12th December, I set off to row three thousand miles across the Atlantic Ocean with three strangers. Why would anyone take on such a challenge? Why not!<\/p>\n

Did I have any experience with ocean rowing? No. What’s the furthest I’d ever cycled? 30 miles.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, how did I get involved in this challenge? It all started at a summer fitness event at Rowbots in London, where I befriended the event photographer. We bonded over our shared interests and she mentioned the crazy adventure she and her friends were planning. I had never heard of the expedition before and was immediately intrigued by the idea. I thought she was bonkers and knew I had to support her. I offered to assist her with some PT sessions and to attend any fundraising events she might have coming up.<\/p>\n

A few months into our new friendship, Corrine invited me to one of the events she was shooting and popped the question as a wildcard opportunity \u2013 they needed another member due to other teammates no longer being able to take part. Straight away I said yes, but little did I know the extremity of the whole project we had to pull off in the space of six months. It was intense but we did it!<\/p>\n

What did training look like?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In the event, we would be rowing for 3,000 nautical miles in total, two hours on, two hours off every day until we reached land \u2013 that\u2019s 12 hours a day, every day. Before meeting the team, the most I had ever rowed was probably 2,000m max in training. This quickly changed. I went from fitness racing to extreme endurance training. My weekdays consisted of strength training and long hours on the Concept2 rowing machine before and after work. On weekends, I would travel down to Exmouth, Devon, where our ocean rowing boat was docked, and learn everything I needed to know about ocean rowing, as well as practise open water rowing. I had never rowed a boat in my life, let alone knew anything about an ocean rowing boat.<\/p>\n

To take part in this expedition, we had to complete up to 500 hours of open water rowing together, as well as courses on seamanship, navigation and survival at sea. Eat, work, campaign, sleep, row, repeat was our training. We did longer cycles when we could fit them in but it mainly consisted of getting our bodies strong and powerful on those strokes for when we got out into the real water.<\/p>\n

On our weekend open water rows, we practised how we all rowed together as a team. Three could be rowing at the same time and one person resting. We alternated on our open water rowing, working in a two-on, two-off rotational shift pattern (although on the row itself we started and finished as a three, while the other steered or rested).<\/p>\n

Our mission<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Our team valued sustainability and aimed to leave a minimal carbon footprint on our expedition. This is where our cycle to the start line came into play. We each chose a charity to raise money for: Great Ormond Street Children\u2019s Hospital, World Vision Ukraine, Maggie’s, and my chosen charity, CALM. We managed to raise over \u00a340,000 combined. Our final mission was to be the first female team to arrive in the row. There was a total of 43 teams in our fleet \u2013 solos, doubles, fours, fives, and same-sex and mixed teams. It was inspiring to be around such driven people, all doing this row for different reasons. We completed our mission in 42 days, seven hours and 18 minutes, winning the female team race.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Atlantic Campaigns<\/p><\/div>\n

My personal mission<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When asked why I embarked on this journey, my response was simple: \u201cWhy not?\u201d Opportunities like this are rare and it was a no-brainer to seize it. Little did I know how challenging it would be to balance campaigning, working, training and reaching the start line. Yet, when you truly want to achieve something, you find ways to make it work.<\/p>\n

I thrive on experiences, learning by doing, connecting and figuring things out with others and alone. This is the essence of life \u2013 the journey of self-discovery and the interactions with those who cross our paths. I’ve loved and lost, and it’s much like competing: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but the effort is essential. This mission meant embarking on an adventure with three new friends I barely knew but I was eager to learn from and with them.<\/p>\n

It was a chance to challenge my own mindset and raise money for incredible charities. I love pushing myself, as it always teaches me something new about my capabilities and how I handle stress, relationships and much more. I believe the more we can control our minds and attune to our bodies, the more present we become with ourselves and those we connect with. My goal is to inspire people to take risks and live life to the fullest, challenging their capabilities and exploring their own interests in movement and mind.<\/p>\n

My experience of The World’s Toughest Row<\/strong><\/h4>\n

On 12th December, a fleet of 43 ocean rowing teams left the island of La Gomera, San Sebasti\u00e1n. Our team, Full Throttle, consisted of four girls in an eight-metre ocean rowing boat named Catch of the Day \u2013 a fun name to repeat over the VHF radio. We took on the Atlantic, rowing to the Caribbean Island of Antigua. The boat had been passed on from the world-record-breaking female team Ocean Sheroes, so we hoped she had room for another record in her.<\/p>\n

Unsupported, we had to supply 55 days\u2019 worth of food (6,000 kcals a day) and two sets of clothes \u2013 shorts, tops, swimwear and foul weather gear. We rowed in Metcons or our bare feet. Our toilet was a bucket. I remember leaving that dock, getting further and further away, saying goodbye, knowing this could be it. We were all alone now and literally anything could happen. It\u2019s a taste of every emotion in your body that gives you chills, and you hope you will survive.<\/p>\n

I put my body through the wars, from sea sickness and sleep deprivation to sores on my butt, but we pushed our bodies to their limits. Eat, sleep, row, repeat was our life for the next 42 days. When there was a storm or the wind was against us and we were getting slammed by rogue 20-foot waves, it wasn\u2019t pleasant. You were thrown from your seat into the corner of the boat as if someone had pushed you into a gutter.<\/p>\n

Team morale and understanding one another were crucial. If there was a problem, it had to be heard and solved equally or we would get nowhere. This is where emotional intelligence comes in \u2013 understanding how each individual operates, and accepting and learning how each other handle situations. But rowing on the equator towards the Caribbean, with endless horizons of blue seas, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, wildlife and not a worry in the world (apart from surviving), and the stars \u2013 so many stars, so many shooting stars \u2013 well, I cannot describe the beauty of this wonderful world. Mother Nature at her finest.<\/p>\n

It was my first Christmas away from my family. We all decided to only call our families on Christmas Day for 10 minutes each. It was a valued moment. We also spent New Year’s and my birthday on that boat. Never would I have thought I’d be spending these special moments in the middle of the ocean.<\/p>\n

The whole experience was unforgettable. When it was bad, it was bad, but the majority of our expedition was so tranquil and surreal. The moment we first saw land was crazy good, and reaching land after 42 days and seeing my friends and family on the other side \u2013 it’s a feeling I\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Aileen McCann attending FitPro LIVE 2025<\/p><\/div>\n

What I learned from the row<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Anything is possible when you put your mind to it. I gained confidence and assertiveness about who I am as a person, what I like doing and what I don\u2019t like. You learn to be patient and considerate of others. You have a lot of time to think and your perspective of the world becomes endless as you look out to sea. The sea teaches you how quickly things can change, and you have to think clearly and react calmly and confidently to anything put in front of you.<\/p>\n

The World’s Toughest Row also reminded me how simply we should live our lives. We don\u2019t need a lot to survive; however, society is different depending on what environment you are in, as well as the people you surround yourself with. So, be mindful of how you would like your world to look as, at the end of the day, you are in control of your own destiny.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Aileen McCann<\/p><\/div>\n

Aileen McCann is one of London’s most competitive functional fitness athletes. Originally from Ireland, she is an online and in-person coach\/sports massage therapist based in Peckham, London. Her successes include Women\u2019s Double Hyrox World Champion in May 2022; UK Regionals Age Group Winner in Spartan Series; Women\u2019s Pro Double AthX Winner 2023; and Women\u2019s Doubles Deka Cup Winners 2023. @aileenmccann_moves<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Discover more athlete insights on the FitPro Blog, this one on maintaining a successful athlete mindset<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aileen McCann,\u00a0one of London’s most competitive functional fitness athletes and an adventurer at heart, shares…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13562,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13561","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-athlete-interview"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13561"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13561"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13574,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13561\/revisions\/13574"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}