Jasmine Harrison on Breaking World Records and a Solo Sail Across the World

Jasmine Harrison is a British adventurer who at the age of 25, already has two world records under her belt. In 2021 she became the youngest solo female to row the Atlantic Ocean and In 2022 she was the first female ever to swim the full length of the British Isles, from Lands End to John o' Groats, a journey of 900 miles taking 109 days to complete. We asked Jasmine what drives her to take on these monumental challenges, plus how she's prepping for her biggest adventure yet: a solo sail across the world. Here's what she had to say.

Could you tell us a little bit about your background? How would your friends and family describe you?

I'm from Thirsk, North Yorkshire and I'm 25 years old. I participated in a lot of sport as a child, and still do, I've always loved being outdoors experiencing nature and love animals. My friends and family would say I'm always busy doing something!

In 2021, you became the youngest solo female to row the Atlantic Ocean. What inspired you to undertake this? And what sort of obstacles did you encounter?

I first came across the race when I was sailing through the Carribean when I was 18. I'd initially gone to teach swimming in Grenada for 3 months, then managed to borrow a sailboat for another 3 months. I watched a solo rower come in and thought it was incredible and thought that I'd do that someday. 18 months later I signed up for the race.

Why did you decide to do this solo? And how did you cope with the solitude for 70 days?

I was solo doing the challenge, but had the support of others behind me, from my land crew to my sponsors. Solo meant that I didn't have to account for anyone else, I could make all the decisions (and mistakes), it gave me independence. I was never truly alone in the sense that I knew everyone was supporting me, and I had the most incredible sealife to keep me company. I also had a Sat phone and had regular calls with the safety team and my land crew.

In 2022, you became the first female to swim the full length of the British Isles. What were the main objectives of this expedition?

To finish it! Unlike the row when you can't turn back or go ashore, at any point in the swim I could have stopped so it was a big and different mental game. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it and it was also good to raise money for two charities too (Sea Shepherd and Surfers against Sewage).

How long did this take you? And were there any specific hurdles you had to take on?

It took 111 days, which was much longer than originally planned as the logistics of organising the support yacht, crew, and kayaker were difficult and the weather often meant we couldn't progress as planned. The biggest hurdle was the last 60 miles across the north of Scotland, when the weather was too bad for a sail boat, so I somehow had to find a RIB and crew when everyone was out of time. There were plenty of physical hurdles too like being in the middle of a NATO exercise at Cape Wrath when live firing was taking place over us and ending up swimming through the Corryvreckan whirlpools off the Scottish coast.

I can imagine these challenges took an immense amount of strength and resilience. Have you ever come close to abandoning a challenge? And if so, what motivated you to keep going?

I had no choice whether to abandon the row, my row boat was the safest option and I had to finish as it was the fastest way to get home. The swim was very close to being abandoned when there were so few options and I ran out of money, but I knew I'd have regretted not finishing it and i owed it to my sponsors and supporters and crew.

I’d love to know if you encountered any wildlife while completing these challenges?

Everything from sharks and whales to dolphins, fish, crabs, birds, and lots of jellyfish. I was in the sea off Wales when a basking shark came next to me and on a night swim a whale swam under me, but always the best encounters were the dolphins who would follow me rowing or swimming and really cheer me up.

You’re set to sail around the world, solo, in 2025. How are you feeling in the lead up to this?

At the moment I'm too busy managing the project, training and working to focus on the sail itself, but overall I'm positive.

I’d love to know how you’re preparing for this next adventure?

It's really not glamorous - lots of admin and work trying to get sponsors, plus doing the day job (swimming teaching and lifeguarding) but I'm trying to get as much sailing practice in as possible on my boats and others.

What's at the top of your bucket list?

Completing this race!

Who is your biggest inspiration?

Lots of people and things, often its been seeing paths that I don't want to take - for example a desk job is not for me!

What’s the one piece of advice you have for somebody wanting to take on their first big adventure?

Be independent and just do it.

And finally, do you have any more big adventures on the cards? Anything exciting you’d like to share with us?

Everything is concentrated on the Mini Globe Race which will take about 15 months and finish in March 2026.

Thank you so much to Jasmine for taking the time out of her busy schedule to chat to us! We are so excited to follow her along on her journey, and if you would like to as well, then you can do so by following her on Instagram here. Best of luck with the sail next year!