AN OFFICE worker has earned her place in the record books after battling storms and hunger to row 2,000 miles around the coast of Britain.

And the feat was all the more remarkable because she is afraid of the sea.

Beverley Ashton, 29, from Wantage, joined three other women in the Virgin GB Row 2010 – a non-stop race that meant spending 51 days at sea in a tiny boat.

The IT support manager, who works at RM in Milton Park, Didcot, stepped up just two weeks before the challenge after a member of the SeaGals team dropped out.

Mrs Ashton, of Grove Street, and her team mates crossed the finish line at London’s Tower Bridge on July 23, becoming the first women to row non-stop around Britain.

Because of bad weather and strong winds, their journey took three weeks more than expected and they had to ration food as they had packed enough for only 40 days.

She said: “I do not like open water – so every time we were away from the coast it became extra challenging for me.

“We did two hours on and two hours off, day after day, and the whole thing just merged into one.

“Without doubt the hardest aspect was the mental challenge.

“Twelve hours of rowing a day was a physical test but it became a manageable, known quantity.

“Mentally there was a lot more to take on – the uncertainty of how long I was going to be out there for, being confined to such a small area with no personal space, and being constantly on top of others with little contact with the outside world.”

She added: “It does feel good to be a record-holder. One of the reasons I did the challenge was because I wanted to feel like I have achieved something. But I still feel pretty ordinary. I have more value now for the little things people do.

“Anyone can achieve great things - you just have to have the confidence and commitment to follow it through.”

Mrs Ashton became hooked on rowing while studying at Manchester University. She was accompanied by rowers from Bristol, Dover and California.

So far, the women have raised more than £2,600 for Help For Heroes, which supports injured servicemen.

For more information, or to donate, visit gbrowchallenge.com