Pembrokeshire women hit half way mark in gruelling 3,200 mile Atlantic row

Published

10 months ago

March 4, 2025

For the past 31 days, four Pembrokeshire women have been experiencing some of the most challenging living conditions imaginable.

Their home is a 10-metre rowing boat currently positioned 1,690 nautical miles out in the Atlantic Ocean. Five kilometres below them lies the seabed.

Their tiny vessel is having to combat waves reaching up to 4.5 metres in height while their diet consists solely of air-dried meals. Current sea conditions, however, are making their consumption virtually impossible. Their toilet is a bucket, and their sleep is broken by the discomfort of their foul weather gear and the constant slamming of the waves. Simple things, such as brushing their hair and teeth, are near impossible to accomplish.

Welcome aboard the Cruising Free Atlantic Row.

“This is undoubtedly the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever experienced. And I mean it,” said Miyah Periam, 24, who is the youngest rower to take part in the 3,200 mile row that will take them from Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, to Antigua.

“Sitting on deck is painful, our mattresses are hard and last night there was some really rough water, so we decided that we didn’t want to row in the dark. It felt like I was sleeping in a coffin. “My core and my back are in such discomfort and despite having been out here now for four weeks, I’m still feeling seasick. And the food we’re eating is truly disgusting.”

Miyah, along with Sophie Pierce, 32, Polly Zipperlen, 50, and Janine Williams, 70, began their Atlantic Challenge on February 1, following three years of intricate planning.

The 3,200 nautical mile crossing equates to approximately 1.5 million oar strokes. But despite their rigorous training, the ocean began taking its toll within just 24 hours of their departure as the women became bruised from the waves’ interaction with their boat – The Spirit of Bluestone – and as they began to suffer seasickness.

“Rowing in these conditions is completely different to river or coastal rowing, which is obviously what we’re used to,” explained Janine, who has more than three decades of tough rowing experience behind her.

”But we continue to laugh, despite the discomfort and physical toil that this is having on our bodies.

“When conditions are choppy, everything becomes a bit one-sided, so it’s more about reading the waves. But regardless of what’s going on out there, we know that every stroke is taking us one step close to Antigua.”

Soon after leaving Lanzarote, the women were subjected to extreme heat and significantly calmer seas, but once again this made rowing conditions difficult.

“When the water is calm, rowing feels as if we’re stirring treacle as we’re getting no assistance from the waves,” explained Polly. “We’re also having to battle with the heat throughout the day as there’s no shade cover, and the cabins are baking hot with sweat, dampness and constantly being thrown around by the waves.”

At the end of last week, the Cruising Free team encountered rough seas, which made rowing particularly hard, after the boat entered a patch of two contrasting wave directions, resulting in very choppy waters.

“It was really hard to row and there was quite a lot of water coming onto the boat,” said Sophie. “And in situations like this, it’s really difficult to do anything except wait for calmer weather. But we know that Antigua is getting closer every day.”
The women have also expressed disappointment at the lack of wildlife that they’ve seen, however on Saturday, their shallow depth alarm sounded, suggesting that a whale could have been hovering beneath them.

“But considering that the ocean is about 5 km deep, there’s never any risk of shallow water,” added Janine.

Once their crossing is complete, the Cruising Free Atlantic Row will have set two new world records, with Sophie being the first woman with cystic fibrosis to row the Atlantic, and Janine being the oldest woman. Their row is also raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, the Paul Sartori Foundation and Emily’s Entourage.

“Yes, there are times when this feels like a real nightmare,” said Miyah. “Even the simple, everyday things like brushing our teeth is desperately difficult and our toilet is just a bucket.

“We’re completely at the mercy of Mother Nature and we know that we’re really vulnerable. Everything is completely unpredictable.

Miyah samples one of the many flying fish that lands on deck, in a bid to spice up her mundane diet.

“Yes, we can row, but this can only be done in certain directions and we can’t really control our speed.

“The main thing is acceptance and humility. And I know that these are things that I can take forward with me into the rest of my life.”

Cruising Free Atlantic Row can be followed on Facebook where they share regular posts via Starlink. Donations can also be made via a link on the Facebook page.

Community

Craig Flannery appointed as new Chief Fire Officer

Published

14 minutes ago

December 19, 2025

Tom Sinclair

MID AND WEST WALES FIRE SERVICE LEADERSHIP CHANGE

MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has announced the appointment of Craig Flannery as its new Chief Fire Officer, with effect from Monday, December 15, 2025.

Mr Flannery has served with the Service for more than twenty years, progressing through a wide range of middle management and senior leadership roles across both operational and non-operational departments.

During his career, he has been closely involved in strengthening operational delivery, risk management and organisational development. His work has included leading innovation in learning and development, overseeing the Service’s On-Call Improvement Programme, and driving investment in key enabling functions such as workforce development and information and communication technology.

The appointment followed a rigorous, multi-stage recruitment process led by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority. Candidates were assessed through structured interviews, strategic leadership exercises and scenario-based assessments designed to test operational judgement, organisational vision and the ability to lead a modern fire and rescue service.

External professional assessors were also engaged to provide independent scrutiny, ensuring the process met high standards of fairness, transparency and challenge.

Mr Flannery emerged as the strongest candidate, demonstrating clear strategic leadership capability, detailed organisational knowledge and a strong commitment to community safety and service improvement.

Councillor John Davies, Chair of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “Craig brings a deep understanding of our Service and a clear vision for its future. His appointment will strengthen our ability to innovate, support our workforce and deliver high-quality protection for the communities we serve.

“As we navigate a rapidly changing landscape, Craig’s experience in driving innovation and organisational development will be invaluable in helping us adapt and transform for the future.”

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Flannery said: “It is a privilege to lead this outstanding Service. I am committed to supporting our people, strengthening partnerships and building on the strong foundations already in place.

“As the challenges facing fire and rescue services continue to evolve, we must modernise and innovate, ensuring we have the skills, technology and capability needed to meet the needs of our communities. I look forward to working with colleagues and partners across Mid and West Wales to deliver a resilient, progressive Service that keeps people safe and places our staff at the heart of everything we do.”

Health

Resident doctors in Wales vote to accept new contract

Published

6 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENT doctors across Wales have voted to accept a new contract, with 83% of those who took part in a referendum backing the agreement, according to BMA Cymru Wales.

The contract includes a four per cent additional investment in the resident doctor workforce and introduces a range of reforms aimed at improving training conditions, wellbeing and long-term workforce sustainability within NHS Wales. The BMA says the deal also supports progress towards pay restoration, which remains a central issue for doctors.

Key changes include new safeguards to limit the most fatiguing working patterns, measures intended to address medical unemployment and career progression concerns, and reforms to study budgets and study leave to improve access to training opportunities.

Negotiations between the BMA’s Welsh Resident Doctors Committee, NHS Wales Employers and the Welsh Government concluded earlier this year. Following a consultation period, a referendum of resident doctors and final-year medical students in Wales was held, resulting in a clear majority in favour of the proposals.

Welsh Resident Doctors Committee chair Dr Oba Babs Osibodu said the agreement marked a significant step forward for doctors working in Wales.

He said: “We’re proud to have negotiated this contract, which offers our colleagues and the future generation of doctors safer terms of service, fairer pay, and better prospects so that they can grow and develop their careers in Wales.

“This contract will help to retain the doctors already in training, and also attract more doctors to work in Wales, where they can offer their expertise and benefit patients.”

Dr Osibodu added that the BMA remains committed to achieving full pay restoration and acknowledged that challenges remain for some doctors.

“Whilst this contract sets the foundations for a brighter future for resident doctors in Wales, we recognise that there are still doctors who are struggling to develop their careers and secure permanent work,” he said. “We need to work with the Welsh Government and NHS employers to address training bottlenecks and underemployment.”

The Welsh Government has previously said it recognises the pressures facing resident doctors and the importance of improving recruitment and retention across NHS Wales, while also highlighting the need to balance pay agreements with wider NHS funding pressures and patient demand.

The new contract is expected to be phased in from August 2026. It will initially apply to doctors in foundation programmes, those in specialty training with unbanded rotas, and new starters, before being rolled out to all resident doctors across Wales.

Crime

Swansea man jailed for online child sex offence dies in prison

Published

6 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man who was jailed earlier this year for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child has died while in custody.

Gareth Davies, aged 59, of the Maritime Quarter, was serving an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted in May of sending sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The account was in fact a decoy used as part of an online safeguarding operation.

The court heard that Davies began communicating with the decoy between November and December 2024 and persistently pursued the individual, later attempting to arrange a face-to-face meeting. He was arrested after being confronted by the decoy operators.

Davies had pleaded not guilty but was convicted following a trial. At the time of sentencing, police described the messages as extremely concerning and said his imprisonment was necessary to protect children.

It has now been confirmed that Davies died at HMP Parc on Wednesday (Nov 27) while serving his sentence.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an independent investigation into the death, which is standard procedure in all cases where someone dies in custody. No cause of death has been released at this stage.

A coroner will determine the circumstances in due course.