Ananya Prasad makes history with solo Atlantic row and here's how she is healing after returning to land

The ocean has a way of stripping life down to its barest elements. For 52 days, Ananya Prasad lived in that world — where survival hinged on the strength of her arms, the resilience of her mind and the sheer will to move forward. In becoming the first woman of colour to solo row across any ocean, she didn’t just conquer the Atlantic; she surrendered to it, allowing its rhythms to shape her journey in ways she never expected.

“I really enjoyed the simplicity of being on the ocean. You’re focused on just getting to your destination, on rowing, looking after yourself, eating, sleeping. There wasn’t a lot of looking at emails or coordinating things. It was quite liberating,” she reveals. Alone above the deep, where the horizon stretched infinitely in all directions, Ananya found clarity in the monotony, peace in the isolation and an unexpected sense of belonging on the waves.

This was never meant to be an easy feat. The World’s Toughest Row (the unique challenge of crossing an ocean in a rowing boat) demands more than just endurance; it requires an intimate understanding of self. Broken oars, a lost rudder and an encounter with orcas tested Ananya’s adaptability. She faced her fear of deep water head-on, plunging beneath her boat to clear barnacles. She became her own mechanic, her own navigator, her own motivator. And yet, she thrived — not merely surviving but embracing every challenge as part of the experience.

“Not all rowers enjoy night rowing,” she admits, “but for me, because I really like astronomy and stars, I found it very calming and peaceful to just put my music on, see millions of stars without light pollution and row. The bioluminescence in the water was magical.”

Her body adjusted to a rhythm dictated by the sea, where food became fuel rather than indulgence. “I was actually quite lucky to take a lot of Indian snacks. I had kodbele and gojju avalakki. But you had to eat 4,000 to 5,000 calories a day, so even though there was variety, it got boring after a while,” she recalls. The meals on board were a reminder of the cultural threads that tethered her to home even as she drifted thousands of miles away.

Even with a minimalist approach to packing, what she wore became crucial. “I basically lived in the same few pieces of clothing. A lot of technical, quick-dry fabrics because everything is constantly wet or salty. Sun protection was the only skincare I used while on the expedition. But I did take a pair of earrings by CKC with me. So just as a kind of keepsake for the row, which was like a Japanese-style ear clip with waves on it to represent the ocean,” she says with a smile.

When she finally reached Antigua, the contrast was staggering. “I spent 52 days not seeing another human being or a human face and suddenly, there was colour, noise and jubilation. It was lovely, but also overwhelming. On the ocean, your senses are dulled — it’s just blue and white, day after day. So, seeing greenery, seeing grass and plants, felt like stepping into another world. The first thought that crossed my mind when I crossed the finish line was how much I’d missed land.” That first moment back on land was a cocktail of relief, disbelief and deep appreciation.

Reintegration has been its own challenge. The stillness of land, once taken for granted, now feels like an unexpected luxury. “You don’t realise how much your body adjusts to movement until it stops. And mentally, you don’t have that endless stream of endorphins from rowing. It takes a while to settle back into normal life,” the rower shares. Even the simple act of washing her face felt indulgent after weeks of using nothing but sunscreen to guard against the elements.

Yet, despite the intensity of her journey, Ananya is already dreaming of what’s next. “I would probably like to do another ocean row, perhaps as a team,” she muses. For now, she takes pleasure in small things — “Watermelon. I became obsessed with fruit and vegetables because I didn’t have it for two months,” she expresses.