Making Waves - Atlantic Rowing Race 2005

The Making Waves crew
The rowers who successfully rowed across the Atlantic are Becky Thorpe and Steph Temperton. Both are experienced calm water rowers and qualified doctors, currently working in Nottingham. They have rowed together competitively in the UK for several years where they have forged a winning partnership. Taking on this voyage, along with everything that nature and the open seas can throw at them was an enormous new challenge.

Commonwealth Rowing Championships 2002. Click to enlarge.

A winning partnership
+  Commonwealth silver medallists 2002, rowing for England
+  Henley Women’s Regatta winners in 2002
+  Countless wins at national level
+  British university champions
+  Both members of the women’s world record breaking
100,000m indoor rowing machine team

Why?
"After the governing body of rowing had decided to drop our chosen event (lightweight pairs) from international regattas, we wanted to find a new challenge. We found inspiration from reading the amazing story of Ellen MacArthur sailing around the world. The timing of the Woodvale Atlantic rowing race fitted in with taking a career break from medicine, and that was it, decision made!"

Becky Thorpe

Age: 26
Rowed since: 1994

Steph Temperton

Age: 26
Rowed since: 1997

Behind the scenes
Other people who helped prepare the crew for the challenge included rowing coach Nigel Mayglothling, sports dietician Sally Wharmby, along with sports scientists from the University of Portsmouth.