A 5ft mum is set to become the smallest person to ever row solo across the Atlantic – dubbed the ‘World’s Toughest Row’.
Milli Abrams, 48, will begin the 3000 mile “World’s Toughest Row” beginning at La Gomera in the Canary Islands, and reaching the finish line at the English Harbour in Antigua.
Milli will become the shortest and lightest person to complete the feat.
She sets off on December 12 and will also celebrate her 50th birthday after almost two months at sea on 31 January 2026, becoming one of just four women in their 50s to finish the row.
She became inspired to take on the challenge after a sailing the Atlantic with her husband and son over ten years ago and fell in love with the open ocean – but she craved more challenge.
“I sailed across the Atlantic with my husband and my son 14 years ago – and I loved being at sea,” Milli, from East Neuk in Fife, Scotland.
“It felt a little bit easy; challenging but very comfortable, and I’d always craved doing a crossing that was a bit more character building.”
Milli, a former accountant turned small business owner, says she was never a particularly sporty person, and had also experienced struggles with long COVID.
But after a friend completed his own row last year, Milli began to believe she was capable of doing the same – and started an intensive training programme.
“It’s not something I ever thought someone like me could do – I always thought it was for more athletic types,” she said.
“I’m a bit older, and I don’t climb mountains or anything like that. I had long COVID, and it was pretty bad. I wasn’t all that healthy, and so I’ve been working on that.
“But my friend suggested that it’s something I could do – and that was that.
“In the beginning, it was a bit of a fight to get accepted into the race – they can only take a certain number of boats for safety.
“There’s a lot to do. I’ve been on a lot of training courses and had to learn how to use new equipment – and at the same time, I’ve been running my business.
“Pretty much immediately, I started on the physical training – just getting stronger.
“Then it was a case of finding the boat.”
Her boat was purchased second-hand from Liz Wardley, who set a new world record last year for the fastest solo woman to complete the race – beating the record by 15 days.
Milli renamed the boat “Knitannia,” in honour of her love of knitting – and in a nod to her business, Tribe Yarns.
“There’s a very limited number of boats in the world that are designed for solo ocean crossings, so that really narrows it down,” she said.
“Where possible, I try to buy second-hand, so I put out feelers to see if anyone that rowed the year before would have a boat available.
“I got lucky, because Liz’s boat has been incredibly well cared and equipped by Liz. I snapped it up!”
While she has taken every precaution to stay safe during the row, Milli will face storms, waves that frequently reach 40-ft, and the threat of marlins and sharks.
“There will be storms – that’s inevitable,” she said.
“There will be big waves – 40 foot waves are not unusual. It will feel really different compared to when my family sailed it – being on those waves on a tiny rowing boat, right at the water’s surface.
“Marlin strikes are a really big deal and have been increasing over the last decade or so. The boats offer shade for other fish, and marlins come along to hunt. It’s led to a lot of accidents, with marlins tearing holes in boats, almost stabbing people.
“There are sharks – but I’m not as worried about the sharks.
“You’ve also got to try and make sure your kit doesn’t fail. I’ll have two water makers on board – one that’s solar powered, and then a backup hand-pump one, which I really don’t want to end up having to use.
“Your kit is a really big deal – if your water maker fails, that’s life-threatening.
“I’ll be sleeping for two hours then rowing for two hours day and night so there’s no opportunity for my muscles or body to recover.
“Injury is always very possible, and you don’t always have time to recover from that.
“I dislocated my knee a few months ago, and ripped some tendons, so I’ve got to be really careful not to risk that knee again while I’m out there.”
She will be fundraising for two charities close to her heart – The 2 Minute Foundation, an environmental charity dedicated to combatting plastic pollution, and Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) who provide care for children with terminal illnesses. She is also on the hunt for sponsors keen to support her on her journey.
“The reason I picked The 2 Minute Foundation was because they’re an environmental charity and they help the planet,” she added.
“I love the way that they make being an environmental activist easy and accessible for everyone. They do two-minute beach cleans, or rubbish picks – and anyone can do it, especially children.
“I also wanted to find a charity that makes contributions to our local community, so when I found out that there aren’t enough hospice placements for children with shortened lives, CHAS was a no-brainer.
“I think it will help to motivate me through the really tough times out there, to think about making a difference.”
Milli believes that she has the mental strength to survive hard times on her own – and hopes she comes out stronger for it.
She hopes that her achievement will bring her a greater understanding of her strength and mental fortitude.
“Part of the reason I wanted to do it was to see what it was like to be that alone for such a long period of time,” she explained.
“I’m hoping to have a bit of time to reflect and slow down a bit. I don’t really slow down – running a small business, is full-on, all the time.
“The aftermath of all of this is a massive unknown for me. I hope I feel happy and ready to jump back into normal life.
“I’m hoping to get a bit more of an understanding of who I am, and how I cope by myself in tough situations.
“And I’d love to help make this feel more doable to people who are like me – because it didn’t feel attainable to me until I met someone who’d done it.”
Milli has been sharing her journey at https://www.justonemorerow.org/. The charities she is supporting can be found at https://2minute.org/ and https://www.chas.org.uk/.
