Record-breaking rower's incredible grit | Zella Compton

A 64-year-old has just become the oldest woman to row the Atlantic. That kind of puts into perspective all our hopes and dreams doesn’t it?
Sara Brewer (right), 64 and her rowing partner Ann Prestidge (left), 35. Sara has become the oldest woman to row an ocean after crossing the Atlantic in 86 days. PA Photo. Issue date: Sunday March 8, 2020. See PA story SPORT Swimming. Photo credit should read: Atlantic Campaigns/Ted Martin/PA WireSara Brewer (right), 64 and her rowing partner Ann Prestidge (left), 35. Sara has become the oldest woman to row an ocean after crossing the Atlantic in 86 days. PA Photo. Issue date: Sunday March 8, 2020. See PA story SPORT Swimming. Photo credit should read: Atlantic Campaigns/Ted Martin/PA Wire
Sara Brewer (right), 64 and her rowing partner Ann Prestidge (left), 35. Sara has become the oldest woman to row an ocean after crossing the Atlantic in 86 days. PA Photo. Issue date: Sunday March 8, 2020. See PA story SPORT Swimming. Photo credit should read: Atlantic Campaigns/Ted Martin/PA Wire

Talk about determination, grit and a brilliant fat wodge of what I like to call pig-headed stupidity given the only sea row she and her 35-year-old rowing partner had embarked upon before setting off was around Hayling Island.

She’s only been rowing for six years in total.

Can you imagine the determination to conquer that feat, through 20m high waves and numerous storms?

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They took 86 days, two weeks longer than anticipated, which meant they were on strict rations. Amazing from start to finish.

Panic buying is fuelling panic buying, not coronavirus

I went to Asda on Saturday to get a few bits, including soap because we had actually run out.

Imagine my surprise to find out the whole shelf depleted.

On the bottom were a few packages with four bars in, luckily including my favourite brand which I’ve been investing in for a year or so in my quest to give up plastic bottles – like the ones hand wash comes in.

Like me, there were several people standing there staring, as if somehow, by looking closely, the magical item would appear again.

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I get why people are buying soap, but I don’t understand the panic buying that is happening for toilet paper.

I’ve been unreliably informed it’s because toilet paper is made in China and people are worried they’ll catch Covid-19 from new supplies.

Can this be true?

I think it’s more likely that people are panic buying not from a fear of the virus but are panic buying because of the fear of panic buying itself, and worrying they’ll get left behind.

Incidentally, the virus kills a tiny amount of people compared to all the other perils which we manage to negotiate on a day to day basis.

Anyway, loo roll?

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I suppose it’s a true comfort item, and when a few jumbo packages are gone from the shelves, it makes us immediately suspect that the store will run out, so we buy more, and so on and so forth, a spiral if you like.

I’m more inclined to stock up on things which I’d worry I wouldn’t be able to get in a global melt-down – like fruit and vegetables.

But as I’m not into whole-hearted pickling and preserving, I don’t think I’ll bother just yet.

Maybe medicines should make it up the list, but having to go through the checkout 18 times with teeny tiny packets of paracetamol feels like too much hard work.

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But as much as I like to remain on my high horse berating those whose airing cupboards will be overrun with Andrex, I did in fact succumb to the general melee and bought the eight bars of soap instead of the usual four.

That’s me, coming clean.

Will there be a time when we don’t need a women’s day?

International Women’s Day has been safely packed away for another year.

I wonder if it’s time to make genuine strides forward and ask media outlets to balance equality on sports reporting, with women introducing all stories, instead of just women’s football, hockey etc.

We’re constantly listening to stories about men, and their achievements, over and over, and that is our norm.

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Perhaps this reckoning, for the other 364 days a year, might help to make all those male trolls who are busily calling out every woman every five minutes for daring to mention the patriarchy, feel a little less left out? I can’t wait until we don’t need to bother with a women’s day, because we’re all equal.