The toughest thing I’ve ever had to do

8:00am Friday 16th May 2008

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WHEN Rachel Smith's rowing boat capsized in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, it seemed as if her challenge of a lifetime was about to be washed away for good.

Thrown overboard by the full force of a 40ft wave, she was catapulted into the water and forced to cling onto her flimsy-looking boat for dear life.

"We saw this huge, freak wave heading our way and it broke sideways over the boat."

Rachel Smith

But with the help of her rowing partner, best pal Lin Griesel, the plucky 38-year-old clambered back onboard and dug deep to paddle all the way to the Caribbean to claim first prize in a spectacular 3,000-mile extreme endurance race.

Rachel, a former dragonboat racing world champion, beamed: "We were only 300-miles from the finishing line when we capsized but it was pretty frightening. We saw this huge, freak wave heading our way and it broke sideways over the boat.

"It was all over in a flash but we were both extremely lucky not to be seriously injured. The hardest part about it though was deciding not to tell our family and friends. They would have been worried sick."

After setting off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands last December, it took Rachel and Lin a gruelling 76 days to complete the ocean crossing to Antigua - a time which bagged them first place in the Woodvale Atlantic Challenge Women's Pairs class.

With only each other for company, their mission was identical to the much-publicised challenge completed by international rower James Cracknell and TV star Ben Fogle in 2006.

It was all in aid of a good cause too, as prior to setting off Rachel and Lin spent three years raising sponsorship money for Breast Cancer Care - a charity that's close to both of their hearts as they've both lost relatives to the disease.

Having already raised more than £50,000, they hope to smash the £100,000 barrier in the next 12-months when they round up more sponsorship cash and sell off their £25,000 boat.

And Rachel, a former Bleak Hill Primary and Rainford High pupil, described the 11-week challenge as easily the toughest thing I've ever done'.

She said: "The conditions were absolutely relentless. The winds were extremely strong all the way and right from day one 20-30 foot waves were normal.

"The rowing was totally mentally and physically exhausting. But we spurred each other on all the way and got messages of support from our friends and family all the time on the satellite phone."

And even as they approached the finishing line in Antigua, Rachel reckoned it was far from plain sailing.

She added: "We kept being blown south as we approached the Caribbean and were both constantly stressed that we would miss the finishing line, which was only a mile wide. We had to row north, against the current, 18 times just to make sure we finished!"

• To add your support to Breast Cancer Care, or to find out more about Rachel and Lin's Atlantic Rowing Challenge, go online at: www.justgiving.com/atlanticrowing