ATLANTIC rower Jasmine Harrison who is battling to win a place in the history books is in 'purgatory' at the current time but determined to finish the race according to her worried but totally supportive mum.

Jasmine, 21, is aiming to be the youngest solo female to row 3,000 miles across the ocean, but howling winds and terrible conditions have meant she's been forced to retreat to her cabin for five days awaiting better weather. In the meantime she's got a shark for company.

Mum Susan Harrison has backed her daughter all the way, working as her support team back home in Thirsk and dishing out '"tough love" to keep Jasmine upbeat. She is currently on para anchor, being blown around the Atlantic with waves crashing against the boat, she's done nearly 1,000 nautical miles and has a further 2,000 to go.

Susan said: "The weather is very very poor she has retired to the cabin with waves crashing into the boat lifting the stern and slamming it back down onto the water. It's five days of purgatory in a sweaty, stinky box. But she just has to wait it out until the winds turn. You can’t control the uncontrollable and she is trying to make herself as comfortable as possible. We are in contact pretty regularly and it's nice to be able to tell her about the constant messages of support she's getting, it's really important."

Susan admits when Jasmine started talking about entering the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge three years ago she didn't really believe she meant it. But her determined daughter, a swimming teacher, and former modern Pentathlon champion never gave up.

"She took me to La Gomera in the Canaries in 2019 to see the start of the challenge and that kind of normalised it," says Susan. "It is incredibly dangerous, more people go up Everest in a year than have rowed across the Atlantic. Of course she knows I am concerned and bothered, that is why she rings. It is tough love, I have to sympathise and say yes it is awful but you chose to do it and I will support you as much as I can but that resilience has to be there, and she is determined to do it.

"The tracker updates every four hours and I keep a close eye on it. Messages of support are invaluable, particularly personal ones, she loved it when some of the kids she used to teach swimming said how cool it was that she was rowing the Atlantic, and when people say how inspiring it is. One lady told us she was going to swim in the sea every day that Jasmine is rowing.

"I am incredibly proud of her, but obviously it is mixed emotions because it is also worrying. It is pretty extraordinary for anyone to do it, for a 21 year old it is amazing. But she has always been up for stuff from when she was young."

While putting her para anchor in the sea Jasmine was sure she spotted a shark and has had sonar readings of 13 feet under the boat when it should be thousands of feet, Jasmine thinks its because the shark has been "lurking around" keeping her company. But the rower is not deterred and is looking forward to rowing again by the end of the week. Follow Jasmine on www.facebook.com/search/top?q=rudderly%20mad