Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: The Great Pacific Escapade

Jess Rowe and Miriam Payne are the first female team to row across the Pacific Ocean (mainland to mainland), non-stop and unsupported.

Taking 165 days (nearly six months) to complete their voyage, Seas the Day began their great Pacific escapade in Peru, South America in May 2025. They continued west, rowing 15 hours a day, before reaching Cairns in Australia, covering 8,213 nautical miles.

Embracing the challenges of the high seas on Velocity, their 9-meter Rossiter Ocean 2 rowing boat, the duo used this opportunity to foster empowerment (especially in young women), break several world records along the way, and most importantly raise nearly £100k for The Outward Bound Trust, a UK-based charity which helps children develop lifelong skills through adventure.

The tale of their Great Escapade is one of two halves. It highlights the challenges faced when their rudder broke just seven days and 350 miles into their first attempt, forcing them to return to land and plan their re-start. Then on their second attempt, it acknowledges the sheer grit and determination given to keep spirits high when battling driving rain and wind, 30ft waves, blisters and salt sores, sleep deprivation and losing an oar to the ocean. And, it details some of the more technical issues with their power system and emergency hand pump watermaker’s failure and focusses on how resilience and a positive mental mindset to effectively and inventively repair and manage these issues, saving their row on more than one occasion.

The British adventurers (Miriam Payne, 26, from East Yorkshire and Jess Rowe, 28, from Hampshire) who make up the ocean rowing team, are experienced rowers, having met in 2022 in the Canary Islands when they were preparing for The World’s Toughest Row – previously known as the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – in which they rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. On that occasion, Jess’s team won the women’s event and Miriam won the solo women’s event in a record time.

Seas the Day’s story is a testament to the power of a positive mindset and the sheer drive to continue going forward. The highly engaging and inspirational duo will inspire audiences to embrace their own personal challenges and discover the limitless possibilities that lie beyond their own comfort zones.