Leicestershire Student Becomes Youngest Woman to Row from Europe to South America
Zara Lachlan, 21, rows solo from Europe to South America, breaking records.
Zara Lachlan, Loughborough, Portugal, French Guiana, South America
Loughborough: A 21-year-old student just made history. Zara Lachlan rowed solo from Europe to South America. She started her journey from Lagos, Portugal, on October 27 last year. After 97 days, she reached French Guiana, covering 3,600 nautical miles.
Zara is a physics graduate from Loughborough University. She plans to join the Army as a technical officer in September. During her journey, she faced many challenges, including injuries and equipment failures.
She shared that the last week was tough. Zara felt close to her destination but couldn’t see it until she was five miles away. When she arrived, local fishermen welcomed her with applause, even though they were confused about her adventure.
Zara completed her journey in 97 days, nine hours, and 20 minutes. She missed the solo row speed record by just 19 hours. She carried 800kg of supplies, including meals and snacks for each day.
At first, she struggled with navigation. But Zara enjoyed every moment, even the hard ones. She broke her phone on day 40, leaving her without music for the rest of the trip.
She rowed for 16 hours daily, listening only to the sound of water. Zara had a close call with a ship that nearly hit her. She learned to be kinder to herself during this journey, focusing on effort over results.
Now, Zara will return to university in Leicestershire. She plans to continue her rowing training before graduating this summer. She raised money for Team Forces Foundation and Women in Sport during her adventure.
Major General Lamont Kirkland praised Zara’s achievement. He highlighted her strength and determination, calling her journey an inspiration. To support her fundraising efforts, visit Crowdfunder and search for ‘Zara Lachlan Atlantic Solo-Row’.