Former Lincoln University alumni Molly Hemeter, 27, to take on World’s Toughest Row across the 3,000-mile Atlantic

A former Lincoln student said she is overwhelmed with excitement as she gets ready for her big rowing race across an ocean.

Molly Hemeter, who studied at the University of Lincoln, is hard at work keeping her mind and body fit to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic.

The 27-year-old is competing as part of team ‘Atlantic Fusion’, which includes her partners Annika Israelsson, Bel Noyles and Dave Fassam, in an effort to raise funds for their chosen charity Abbie’s Army.

“At the moment, this challenge has been three years in the making, so for me, I am just very excited to get to the start line,” she said.

“There’s a lot of apprehension and nerves but the overwhelming feeling is excitement because it’s within touching distance.”

After going back to her university to talk to the current students there, Molly says she feel extremely lucky.

“University was not the path that I thought I would go down, but the school really helped me explore my potential, and being able to talk to other students about their careers helps me to fulfil that.

“I enjoy giving back to those who are like me and perhaps never had family members go to uni and didn’t really know what their career trajectory could look like.”

The team will be starting in a village called San Sebastian in La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands, and they will finish at Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua.

It is part of an annual race dubbed the ‘World’s Toughest Row’ as competitors battle with sleep deprivation, salt sores, and physical extremes.

“All over the summer, we have been spending time on the boat for hours and hours, day and night just learning, eating and sleeping on it,” Molly added.

“Training at the moment is all about keeping ourselves fit and getting ready for the row, and mentally we have been solidifying our objectives and our team’s do’s and don’t’s.”

The group have been pushing their bodies outside of their comfort zones by doing things at all times of the day so they are more mentally prepared.

All profits from the row will go to Abbie’s Army, which works to raise awareness of childhood brain cancer, more specifically Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an aggressive hard to treat type of tumour.

“Dave’s daughters both lost a friend when she was four to the disease,” the 27-year-old said.

“It’s very important to us, and it’s a charity that not many people know about.

“DIPG affects so many more children in the UK than people don’t know about, so being able to support it will provide so many benefits to them and the families that suffer - it’s very close to our hearts.”

Atlantic Fusion will set off on December 12th and are still hoping to get sponsors for that “final push”.

More information can be found on the group’s website, here.

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