Swimming teacher and youngest woman to row the Atlantic thwarted by storms in latest challenge

Jasmine Harrison, a 23-year-old swimming teacher from Thirsk, made worldwide headlines last year when she became the youngest woman to row across the Atlantic.Now, on a 900-mile solo swim from Land's End to John O'Groats, she has been caught short by storms just shy of the final finishing line.The hope had been to complete the challenge by last weekend. By Friday evening, she had reached a drop point off Cape Wrath on the coast of Scotland and now she is making her way across the north Scottish coast.She said: "It's just waiting for the opportunity to get in the water. It's waiting for every last chance I can get."Jasmine set off on the three-month challenge with a support boat and crew in June.The journey has proved challenging at times, and exulting at others."I didn't know what to expect," she said. "It's been so different at every step of the way."She was accompanied by a pod of dolphins and seals as she crossed the Bristol Channel, and endured jellyfish stings to her hands and feet.At times, she has been forced to seek refuge in harbours when the weather turned. First it was Wales, then the Isle of man, before broaching the coast of Scotland.For 12 weeks Jasmine has been swimming in shifts, working around the tides.

Sometimes a few hours at night, or she has found she can swim for longer with the sun on her back."There were the heatwaves in summer, and now massive storms are coming through," she said. "It's been very changeable."Over the past three months, Jasmine has grown much stronger. New muscles have appeared, she laughed, in her back, arms and shoulders.But for the 23-year-old, whose day job is as a swimming teacher at Thirsk and Sowerby Leisure Centre, she is keen to keep pushing herself.First it was the seas, in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge when she had never even rowed before, only to break records as the youngest female to cross an ocean solo.She has since been listed on the Forbes 30-under-30 list."I want to do something that was a challenge," she said. "It's the experience - of doing something that has potentially never been done before."I could swim the Channel, but with all the training I might as well go further. There's always the question, 'how far can I push myself?', 'how far can I swim?'."I want to know how far I can get. I have learned a lot about myself."In the night, when it's dark, the most I can last is four or five hours," she added. "In the day, in the sunshine, I can go for so much longer."Jasmine Harrison is raising money for Surfers against Sewage and Sea Shepherds UK on JustGiving.

Her progress can be followed at The Full Length or Twitter @rudderlymad.