Story By Dave King

Jasmine Harrison is 25-years-old, lives in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, and is not ​your typical Rotarian.

At the age of 21, Jasmine became the youngest female to row solo across an ​ocean when she completed a 3,000-mile voyage across the Atlantic from the ​Canary Islands to the Caribbean. She raised £15,000 for ShelterBox and a further ​£10,000 for the Blue Marine Foundation.

A year later, in 2022, she took 110 days to complete a 900-mile swim up the west ​coast of the United Kingdom from Land’s End to John O’Groats, becoming the ​first woman to swim the length of Britain. It was these achievements which led to ​Jasmine being presented with a Rotary Young Citizen of the Year award in 2023.

And now the member of Thirsk Rotary Club, who has already sailed around 2,500 ​miles throughout the UK and Caribbean, is planning her next big adventure – ​taking part in the 2025 Mini Globe Race, sailing around the world in a 5.8-metre, ​or 19-foot boat.

Competing against up to 20 other yachts on a 14-month adventure which starts ​and finishes in Antigua, and will take in stops in Panama, Fiji and Cape Town, ​Jasmine said: “This race is the perfect combination between history, adventure ​and world firsts. There has never been a race of hand-built boats on this scale to ​circumnavigate the world!”

In September, Jasmine, who only began sailing seven-years-ago, will be driving ​her boat to Portugal in preparation for sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to ​Antigua in December ahead of the start of the 2025 Mini Globe Race in February ​2025.

But in the meantime, she is looking for the Rotary family to support the round ​the world sailing voyage which will cost around £100,000. She has contacted each ​of the 24 District Governors in Great Britain & Ireland seeking their support ​through the clubs.

“Rotary is incredibly well connected and through each club giving a little, it could ​add up to being a lot making it possible for this sail to happen and therefore ​benefit Rotary as a whole,” explained Jasmine, who works as a lifeguard, ​swimming teacher, and does bar work. “For example, if each club donated £100 ​then the sail can happen.”

Jasmine bought the yacht called ‘Numbatou’ last year. She’s not fussed with the ​name which she would like to change instead to ‘Magic’ in reference to this year’s ​Rotary International theme, the ‘Magic of Rotary’.

There are also marketing opportunities with having the Rotary logo on the hull, ​sails and clothing, and the young sailor believes the race will have the potential ​to generate donations to charities such as End Polio Now and ShelterBox.

Having generated similar sponsorship to fund the Atlantic rowing challenge, the

Yorkshire woman is confident that Rotary clubs will rally behind her.

She added: “This is a personal challenge for me, but I also want to show what ​Rotary is really like. Rotary is for anybody, for the young and for women as well.

“Since I have been involved with Rotary over the past couple of years, I’ve ​discovered not everybody realises what Rotary does and how many things they ​are involved with. At Thirsk Rotary Club, we are very community-based and do so ​much around here. These things don’t happen by magic, so I want to show this, ​and I believe this race could massively promote Rotary.

“I’m looking for collective support from Rotarians and Rotary clubs in Great ​Britain and Ireland.”

Jasmine is excited about the Mini Globe Race which will test her and her yacht in ​some of the toughest of conditions known to mankind, sailing sometimes ​thousands of miles from the nearest landfall.

She added: “I try not to think too far ahead because I am someone who very ​much deals with something when it is happening. I have rowed the Atlantic ​before, but after that, with sailing across the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, I don’t ​know what it’s going to be like.

“I’m not worried about the isolation, the biggest concern will be the weather and ​what's it going to throw at you.

“Being by myself for is sometimes a bit easier, because it's only me that has to ​deal with something if I'm in danger.”

Jasmine will have a satellite phone and an array of communications and safety ​equipment on board as support during some of the strong winds, intense ​currents and fierce waves.

“On board I’ll be carrying a lot of water and equipment such as five different sails ​and a life raft. I’ll have spares of everything like toolkits and stuff for the solar ​panels. In terms of luxuries, I’ll take my speakers to play music and chocolate – ​lots of chocolate, plus photos of family and my dogs at home. I’ll also take a ​fishing rod.

“For food, we’re meant to take these dehydrated ration packs, but I don't like ​them. So I'm going to take tinned food, like pasta, spam and baked beans. I’ll ​have lots of snacks. I don't need that much food because I'm not really exercising ​massively, not compared to the row.”

With the yachts averaging five knots, progress will be around 100 miles a day, but ​Jasmine is intending to take long sleeps on the voyage rather than cat-napping.

“It depends on what the weather's doing, because if I need to stay awake and ​keep hand-steering the entire time, I will. If I'm completely becalmed and there's ​nowhere to go, I'll just sleep all day.”

Jasmine seemed relaxed about the prospect of entering some of the most ​unforgiving oceans in the world in the tiniest of boats, but remained focused and ​confident.

Asked how during the stamina-sapping swim and row she managed to keep the ​demons of doubt at bay, she agreed it was a mental battle, but one she wins by ​reminding herself about what it has taken to get her to this stage of life. And at ​the age of 25, that’s already a formidable journey.

Visit Jasmine’s website or contact her on contact@jasmine-harrison.com

Follow Jasmine on social media on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.

For more information on the Mini Globe Race, visit their website.