TWO young women who were pupils at Lady Eleanor Holles School, near Teddington, took their boat to school this week!

The 8-metre fibreglass rowing boat, named 'Dolly Parton' will be crewed by Abby Johnson, a current coach at the independent girls' school, her fellow former pupil and friend Charlotte Irving and Kat Cordiner, who is fighting a battle against cervical cancer.

The 'oarsome' threesome plan to row 3000 miles across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Antigua in a world record of less than 50 days to raise over £100,000 for cancer charities.

At a recent black tie event at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London they raised more than £39,000 through an auction and raffle.

Last Friday (30 September), Abby gave pupils at the school in Hampton a guided tour of the boat and its cramped sleeping quarters which will be their home as they take on the gruelling Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, starting in December.

Abby said: "People are really surprised when they first see the boat and how small it is.

"But we know our way around it and where everything will be stored including lots of food. It's very important to stay neat and tidy."

They will need to be eating up to 5000 calories a day to stay fit and healthy.

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The trio shared the details of their challenge with the local community group SporTedd in Teddington earlier in the summer which has also supported their fund-raising efforts for Cancer Research UK, MacMillan and the Royal Marsden Hospital.

Charlotte said: "We will battle storms, 25-foot waves, salt sores, sleep deprivation, hunger and a lack of home comforts. In fact, we will be lacking most things - including beds and a toilet!

"Christmas and New Year will bring little in the way of presents and pudding, delivering us potential equipment failure, sharks, shipping lanes and capsizes instead.

"However, with careful preparation, plenty of support from family and friends and teamwork on the crossing, we hope to make it to Antigua in record time."

Kat added: "I have experienced first-hand how essential the work of these charities is and I am so pleased that team EXTRAOARDINARY will be able to help raise money for these amazing charities."

Read Kat's moving and inspiring story here.

For more about the trio's challenge and how to get involved, visit their website: www.weareextraoardinary.com/