NSSLGlobal is providing vital communications support to The Valkyries – the first all-female Royal Navy crew to take part in the gruelling 3,000-mile World’s Toughest Row from the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean.
The team are part of the Royal Navy’s HMS Oardacious charity fundraising campaign, which started in 2019 and has so far raised more than £600,000.
The four Valkyries, who will spend more than a month rowing the ocean in a boat a few metres-long, are Lt Cdr Izzy Rawlinson (the skipper), Lt Cdr Ali Aindow, PO Aaby Aldridge and Lt Cdr Nic Hall.
With the early December start of the race at La Gomera approaching, Lt Cdr Hall shared her thoughts about the approaching voyage.
What has motivated you to undertake this challenge?
Our main aim is to raise money for the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity, which does great work supporting the welfare of serving and retired sailors, marines and their families going through difficult times. We also support the Young Women’s Trust, which supports women into employment and educates them on issues such as equal pay, diversity and fair treatment within the workplace. We’d love to be the fastest female military crew to complete this challenge as we’re all incredibly competitive; but we really are in the hands of the 40ft waves and inclement weather we’ll be experiencing! Of course, it is not just about the row, we have loved going to schools and youth groups to support and encourage women in science, tech, engineering and maths: all these domains are where women are sadly underrepresented in our society.
How well prepared do you feel for this epic row?
Very well prepared. Selection started a year ago and since then we have gone through a tough process to get here, involving physiological testing and psychological forums. Izzy, our skipper’s view is that it is all about teamwork and how you get on in the boat, because rowing can be picked up by anyone fit enough. We’ve been doing cardiovascular work and strength and conditioning work in the gym for two hours every day and most weekends we have been out on the boat all around the UK.
What has it been like so far?
The sense of vulnerability in such a tiny platform is unbelievable. You feel every tiny wave that hits the boat and you’re constantly wet and cold on deck. You just feel like the tiniest atom in the world compared with being on a big warship with all the kit and equipment. I’ve been on warships in the middle of the Atlantic watching the bows disappear under very big waves, but in a tiny boat this will be completely different… and terrifying.
What is the boat like to live on as well as row?
We’re doing two hours on and two off, but the cabin where we sleep or take shelter is tiny. Two of us are about 5’ 11” which makes it a tight fit. The sleep deprivation has been pretty tough and we know that emotions can be heightened when you are very short of sleep. In the Navy you are taught to keep that under control, but being in such a tight space with three others for such a long time is bound to be challenging.
There will be no privacy, then?
No, none at all. I already know more about the other girls than I probably ever wanted to know! But we won’t survive on the open ocean if we don’t have those tight team bonds because we are all reliant on one another to survive. Someone providing you with food while you’re rowing, for example, or making sure you have drunk enough when you’re having a tough day and your mind is not on it.
How do you expect to use the satellite connectivity provided by NSSLGlobal?
Being connected enables us to significantly mitigate the risks of being out there. You cannot roam the ocean without communication. We will be able to talk to the safety team each day about how we’re doing on board and then they can give us the critical information we need. We’ll also use it for the weather router to help guide us so we can avoid storms.
It will enable us to send social media content to raise awareness and raise more money for our charitable causes, which is so important to us.
On a more personal level we will want to keep morale high with regular calls with family and friends, and most importantly get updates on how our beautiful and much-loved dogs are coping without their mummies.
What will it mean to you when you reach the end of the row?
There will be a huge sense of achievement no matter where we place in the race! But it will signify the end of a momentous chapter in our quest to support and encourage young women to do things they may have previously thought they couldn’t, from running a 5k to completing a science degree. Izzy’s mantra as the captain, and the piece of advice we’ll offer if asked is ‘see it, be it’, meaning you can do anything you put your mind to, if you want it enough!