A rower who became the fastest woman to cross the Atlantic solo says her record-breaking feat was powered by Terry’s chocolate oranges and cans of Irn-Bru.
Miriam Payne, 23, complete the 3000-mile Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge – dubbed ‘the world’s toughest row’ – in record time last week.
She was forced to eat freeze dried pasta, curry and chicken and rice for every meal and even had that instead of a traditional Christmas dinner.
But she ate a Terry’s chocolate orange and had a can of Irn-Bru as a reward for every 500 miles she rowed which she said her ‘sanity relied on’ by the end of the challenge.
Speaking for the first time since completing the grueling challenge, Miriam told SWNS: ‘So when I reached every 500 mile milestone, I would have an Irn Bru and a chocolate orange.
‘I think my sanity relied on that by the end. I think I must have had about six or seven over all.
‘But I did really struggle with all of the food, especially in the beginning of the race because it made me feel quite ill.
‘After halfway I was okay because I was that hungry I would have just eaten anything – especially in the last week.’
She set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 12 and reached Antigua in the Caribbean 59 days, 16 hours and 36 minutes later on February 10.
Miriam also broke the race record for the fastest solo woman rowing in the challenge which she described as ‘so great’ and ‘pretty special.’
She said: ‘It was so tight with the record for the last few days that by the time I finished, I was ready to put the awes down. But it feels great.
‘My parents and my brother were the first ones to greet me at the finish line and then my auntie, uncle and some other family friends came.
‘It was nice to see some of the rowers that had already finished and were hanging around in Antigua and they came to see me in as well.’
Miriam said that despite enjoying the challenge, the last week was the toughest because the ‘conditions weren’t really great’ which took a took a toll on her mentally.
The former astrophysics student said: ‘I think the last week was the toughest because it’s so close yet so far.
‘It was so up in air about the record because the conditions weren’t really great and the weather wasn’t either.
‘So it was very up and down and I was rowing so many hours but not making the progress that I wanted at that time.
‘I was so close that I had basically done it but I just had to finish it off so that was quite tough mentally and physically as well.’
She will fly back to the UK next week and she has said she can’t watch to catch up with her friends as she has missed all the ‘gossip of what’s going on back home.’
Miriam, of Market Weighton, East Yorks,. said: ‘It was really nice and lovely to be unplugged from social media and everything like that.
‘But with your close friends, you kinda just miss the gossip of what’s going on back home.
‘I also have no idea what’s gone on in the world news-wise for the last two months.’
She also said that she has been struggling to walk because she often spent 18 hours a day rowing, sat in the same position.
READ MORE: This is what rowing across the Atlantic in 42 days will do to your face
Miriam has raised over £16,000 for two mental health charities – Mind Hull and East Yorkshire and Wellbeing of Women which she said is ‘really great.’
The former University of Glasgow student added: ‘£16,000 is really great and people have been so kind and generous.
‘I’m aiming for around £20,000 so hopefully we can reach that.’
Donate to Seas the Day to help Miriam raise money for charity.
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