The four-woman Team Antigua Island Girls, which has been recorded in history as the first black female team to row the Atlantic, has to date raised thousands of dollars for their charity of choice, the Cottage of Hope, which provides a safe haven for disadvantaged girls.
On December 12, 2018, Kevinia Francis, Samara Emmanuel, Christal Clashing and Elvira Bell embarked on the 3,000-mile challenge from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua and Barbuda.
After spending 47 days at sea in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, the quartet returned home on Monday afternoon to an emotional and heartwarming welcome by citizens from all walks of life.
During an official ceremony organized in their honour, Sandra, Lady Williams – wife of Governor General Sir Rodney Williams — presented the team with a $30,000 donation from the Halo Foundation.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne also announced that the government would donate a sum in addition to its earlier contribution.
“We have decided to increase our support by adding another $40,000 to the charity,” he said, adding that the government would also foot the bill for a Mediterranean cruise for each of the ladies and a companion.
During the weeks leading up to and during the challenge, members of the public as well as the corporate community made financial contributions to the cause, and organized and supported a number of fund-raisers to aid the cause.
Team Antigua Island Girls became the third local quartet to represent the country in the Talisker Whisky Challenge, dubbed “The World’s Toughest Row.”
In 2016 Team Wadadli blazed the trail as it conquered the Atlantic, and Team Antigua did likewise in 2017.
All together, the three teams have set a number of records during the competition.