Three women in a boat
Kings Lynn postwoman Kate Palmer is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime when she and two crewmates attempt to row the Atlantic Ocean.
Fewer people have completed such a feat than have been to space or climbed Everest. But Kate and her fellow ‘Norfolk BrOARds’ teammates, Helen and Sandra, are endeavouring to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in December 2019 as part of the Talisker Whisky Challenge – the world’s toughest row.
Kate, who has worked for Royal Mail for nine years, said: ‘It’s an epic challenge but we’re reliant on securing sponsorship. Without it, we’ll be unable to even get to the starting line, let alone help our five chosen charities, the RNLI, Mind, Huntington’s Disease Association, and two local charities close to our hearts - Ellie’s Love and Nelson’s Coastal Watersports Trust.’
The challenge will take the intrepid crew, unsupported, from La Gomera in the Canaries to Antigua. In their 28ft by 5.5ft boat they will face everything that the Atlantic Ocean and Mother Nature can throw at them including storms, massive waves, blisters, salt sores, sleep deprivation, hallucinations and sharks!
‘We will battle through every adversity with a target of completing the race in 45 days – the record currently stands at 60 days for a trio,’ said Kate. ‘We would very much love to win this race – a feat we believe we can do!
‘It is great to be part of something so amazing and we’re really proud that we’ll soon be able to add our names to a small list of ladies to have ever rowed an ocean. Up until now there have only been 150!
‘We hope that in doing so, we can inspire others to follow their dreams and aspirations. Our message is that if you truly believe in yourself, with hard work and determination, there is nothing you can’t achieve. After all, ambitions are only limited by our own self-belief. We want to prove that ordinary people can do extraordinary things!
‘We need £120,000 for our challenge – it’s a lot of money but if every colleague could spare £1 (or more if you fancy) then we would have all the money we need to get to the starting line and with a healthy starting block for our charities.’
‘Do you know anyone who might want to sponsor three (slightly) mad women from Norfolk? Please follow us on Twitter @NorfolkBrOARds – it all helps us get on our way to La Gomera! We need your help and it would be lovely to take you on a journey across the ocean. I promise it’s going to be incredible...unless those sharks get too close!’
You can donate to the Norfolk BrOARds’ fundraising by visiting their website here. You can also contact them by email at info@norfolkbroards.co.uk.
