Denise Leonard - The World's Toughest Row, 50 Days at Sea and Inspiring Women into Adventure

Denise is part of a team of women who have just successfully rowed 3000 miles, unsupported, across the Atlantic Ocean as part of the 'World's Toughest Row'. Rowing 12 hours a day for over 50 days, Denise drew on decades of experience from white water and sea kayaking, alongside years spent as an outdoor instructor.

Driven by a deep belief that adventure belongs to everyone, Denise champions the visibility of women in outdoor spaces. She's passionate about showing that ordinary women can achieve extraordinary things, and that authentic role models have the power to inspire the next generation of adventure-loving women.

In this episode, Denise shares what it really takes to row across an ocean, from raising the funds and building the right team to coping with exhaustion, fear and the mental challenges of spending 50 days at sea.

She opens up about the power of mindset, learning to be kinder to herself, and why focusing on what you can control can make all the difference in the toughest moments.

Listen to this episode to discover how adventure can transform your perspective, why saying yes to opportunities can lead to extraordinary experiences, and why Denise believes that adventure truly is for everyone.

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Show notes

Who is Denise Working as a Lecturer at the University of Wales, Trinity St Davids  Being based in Pembrokeshire in West Wales Growing up in the South of England in Wiltshire Her early years and not coming from an outdoorsy family Getting into slalom kayaking Her journey to becoming a lecturer Studying sports science at university  Moving from kayaking into rowing  After graduation and not knowing what she wanted to do  Working at the National Water Sports Centre Finding her community of people  Deciding to go traveling for the next few years Having an innate desire for freedom Being quite risk adverse  Struggling with predictability  Needing moments of real significant change in order to feel alive Saying yes to opportunities  P