A University of Sheffield student is attempting to become the first woman of colour to row solo and unsupported across an ocean.
Ananya Prasad is raising money for The Mental Health Foundation and the Deenabandhu Trust raising £50 per mile of ocean.
The event is part of the Talker Whisky Atlantic challenge, held every year in December, and Miss Prasad discussed her main motivations in pursuing this daunting challenge.
She said: “I hope to inspire a lot more women and women of colour to do this and put themselves out there, whether it’s in their personal life or sports or their work.
“There have been less than 30 women who have done that at all. And none of them have been women of colour.
Miss Prasad has close ties with one of her chosen charities, the Deenabandhu Trust, which was founded by her uncle in 1992.
She said: “It is a school for children who are from very impoverished backgrounds or orphaned.
“A lot of these children have gone on to become architects or engineers or healthcare professionals.
“Without that, they probably would not have had the opportunity they would have been exposed to a lot of poverty, not many opportunities and exploitation.
“So it’s a way to give back to them as well.”
Economics undergraduate Miss Prasad isn’t averse to a challenge, having scaled multiple mountains in the past.
“We hold ourselves back more than you think. We’re capable as humans of a lot more than we think we are.
“You have to work hard for it. But it’s just about putting yourself out there.”
Miss Prasad is scheduled to race in 2024 and has raised £556 of her £150,000 total in just a few days through her GoFundMe page.
