'Life Happens' ... with Team ExtraOARdinary

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Abby Johnston, Kat Cordiner and Charlotte Irving make up Team ExtraOARdinary, an extraordinary rowing crew that will embark on the huge challenge of rowing an ocean later this year.

Taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, they will depart from La Gomera, in the Canary Islands, and attempt to row 3,000 miles to English Harbour, Antigua, across the planet’s second largest ocean. Together, they hope to be the fastest all-female trio to complete the challenge, beating the current record of 49 days, 13 hours and 49 mins.

In the latest episode of ‘Life Happens’, our marketing director, James Gwinnett, caught up with Abby and Kat to find out what is driving them on this incredible journey.

Veterans of the ‘high seas’, Abby and Kat met whilst taking on the famous Round the World Clipper Race in 2017, spending 31 days together sailing across the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, life hasn’t been ‘plain sailing’ for Kat since then; she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in early 2019. She went into remission but, despite chances of recurrence of around 5%, was told in July 2020 that the cancer had returned, and has since undergone heart surgery.

Currently navigating treatment while continuing her training for the row, Kat’s strength – and the commitment of her crewmates – is an example to all of us of how to overcome setbacks.

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'Life Happens' is the podcast that helps you build mental fitness, speaking to inspirational people about life’s ups and downs, how they’ve overcome setbacks and what it means to them to be mentally fit.