Ananya Prasad from Bengaluru is the first-ever woman of colour to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She concluded the historic 3,000-mile expedition in 52 days.
Ananya Prasad, an Indian-origin rower, is the first-ever woman of colour to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. The UK-based professional concluded the historic 3,000-mile expedition in 52 days on January 31. Not only did she display her athletic prowess, but also raised funds and awareness for mental health and children’s welfare during her journey. Her training included three-and-a-half years of intense physical and mental fitness regimes, including specialised rowing techniques, endurance building, and psychological resilience workshops.
Who Is Ananya Prasad?
According to the Deccan Herald, 34-year-old Ananya Prasad is the granddaughter of the kannad poet G S Shivarudrappa. She was born in Bengaluru and moved to the UK when she was six years old. She took up rowing as a fun form of exercise, which soon turned into a lifelong passion.
Prasad participated in the World’s Toughest Row, an annual expedition that hosts amateur rowers of all ages and nationalities. Her journey started on December 11,2024, from La Gomera in the Spanish Canary Islands, and reached Antigua in the Caribbean in 52 days, (January 31, 2025).
The expedition was not smooth sailing. Prasad’s intense training in technical skills came in handy when the rudder of her boat came apart. Despite not being comfortable with swimming in the deep sea, she had to brave 20-knot winds to replace the part or clean out the barnacles under the boat.
Prasad rowed for 12 hours each day rowing, with breaks in between. She would typically sleep for five to six hours a night. Although solo, she expressed that she
never felt lonely. “I was constantly in touch with the technical, weather and social media teams, so I did not feel like I was truly alone”
One day, Prasad accidentally dropped her phone in the water. However, she luckily had a secondary pho ne, in case of such situations. She also spent Christmas at sea and feasted on her supply of mince pies and mulled wine. She had also carried dehydrated food that was easy to cook and some snacks.
Prasad took the grueling expedition to create a broader social impact. She raised over £150,000 for two non-profit organisations advocating for mental health and
supporting orphaned children in India. Her achievement is a display of her unwavering resilience, culture and values on a global stage.