A Swindon couple faced 40ft waves, bumped into a shark and were rammed by a marlin as they rowed in a gruelling race across the Atlantic ocean

Victoria Micó Egea, 30, and Edward Raymont, 29, joined Roger Stanniforth, 59 and his daughter daughter Brittany, 27 to come eighth in the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

Their team,Generation Gap, rowed 3,000 miles from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean.

The 46-day adventure, which took approximately 1.5 million oar strokes, saw them face waves higher than two double decker buses in their 28ft boat. 

Victoria, who became the first Spanish woman to complete the challenge, said: “I was never very sporty when growing up, so achieving something like this is pretty special. 

“I started sports at Leeds university when I was 22, which is where I met Britt, and I have certainly come a long way since. It just goes to show how far determination and commitment can take people.”

Out on the ocean, the team had many close encounters with marine wildlife. Dolphins, whales and orcas appeared within the first 36 hours of the row. 

Their boat was headbutted by a hammerhead shark – an unusual meeting because hammerheads typically live much deeper in the water and very rarely visit boats. 

There was an even more frightening experience over halfway through the race when a marlin, which had been chasing tuna around the boat, pieced the rear cabin with its bill
Edward, the team’s skipper, said: “The marlin had already struck the side of the boat four or five times before this final strike, which knocked us sideways through 45 degrees. 

“The bill snapped off and effectively sealed the hole it created, but some water was still coming through into the boat.

“It was definitely a frightening experience, particularly considering that the spike came through in the place that Victoria and I usually slept, so the situation could have been a whole lot worse. 

“But I’m so proud that we remained calm as a team, got straight to work in making the repair, and were back rowing again within an hour. 

“The moments like this are what makes the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge such an incredible and life changing experience,” he said.

The group finished the challenge in eighth place out of 21 teams competing.

Fundraising and the sale of their boat means they expect to have raised around £40,000 for their chosen charities Mind, The Royal Marines Charity, Rural Assistance Nepal and Women’s Aid.

Donate by visiting atlanticgenerationgap.com