Cancer survivor from Benson sets off on 2,800-mile row across Pacific
The crew are anticipating tough weather conditions during the 40-day challenge
A woman from Benson is setting off on an 2,800-mile rowing challenge across the Pacific Ocean today, four years after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Felicity Ashley is part of a three-woman crew taking part in the World's Toughest Row Pacific, travelling from Monterey, California, to Hawaii.
The challenge is expected to take around 40 days, with the team rowing for up to 18 hours a day as they cross one of the world's most demanding stretches of ocean.
For Felicity, the row marks a significant personal milestone.
She previously completed an Atlantic crossing in January 2022, only to be diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer a few months later.
Felicity said: "This one really is about marking the four-year milestone since my cancer diagnosis.
"It's about showing myself that I haven't just survived this thing, I've come through it stronger.
"But it's also about showing other people that you can come through challenges like a cancer diagnosis. There is light at the end of the tunnel."
The crew are also raising money for Cancer Research UK, a cause close to all three rowers.
Skipper JP has had skin cancer twice, and both Felicity and crew member Vics have lost their fathers to the disease.
The team have spent months preparing physically and mentally for the challenge, training six days a week with rowing sessions, strength work and yoga.
Felicity said the Pacific crossing is expected to be even tougher than the Atlantic route she completed.
"When we set off, we'll have all the currents, tides and winds trying to blow us back onto the coast," she said.
"We're going to get wet, cold, and have waves washing over us. It's going to be fairly brutal.
"But we're ready and we're really looking forward to getting started."
She added that building strong relationships within the team has been a key part of their preparations.
"We know we can physically row the boat across the ocean," she said.
"It's going to be the team dynamics and helping each other through the low points that will make the real difference."
The crew have created a motivational playlist to help them through the long days and nights at sea, which is available for the public to listen and add to.
Felicity hopes the challenge will inspire others facing adversity.
As a mother of three, she said she also wants to show her children that age and gender should not limit ambition.
"It's about encouraging them to dream big," she said.
"It's also about showing women of a certain age that it's not an excuse to slow down. You've got plenty of life left, so live it while you can."