In Brief

4 British Women to Row Across Pacific Ocean for Charity

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Four British women are taking on the Pacific Ocean next year, by attempting to row across the 8,446-mile-wide (13,600 kilometers) expanse unassisted.

Teammates Emma Mitchell, Ella Hewton, Laura Penhaul and Natalie Miles will attempt to row across the world's largest ocean — from Los Angeles, Calif., to Cairns in northern Australia — in April 2014, reported Cambridge News. The rowers will raise money and awareness for two U.K.-based charities during their trans-Pacific expedition: Breast Cancer Care and Walking with the Wounded, which supports men and women who were injured during military service.

"I want to push my limits by taking on the challenge and in doing so inspire other people to take on their own challenges and open themselves up to new opportunities," Mitchell told Cambridge News.

The four women are currently raising the $164,000 US (200,000 British pounds) needed for the expedition by encouraging supporters to "buy a mile" of their journey, according to Cambridge News. More information about the rowing expedition, and the team's fundraising efforts, can be found on the team's website.

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Denise Chow
Denise Chow
Live Science Contributor

Denise Chow was the assistant managing editor at Live Science before moving to NBC News as a science reporter, where she focuses on general science and climate change. Before joining the Live Science team in 2013, she spent two years as a staff writer for Space.com, writing about rocket launches and covering NASA's final three space shuttle missions. A Canadian transplant, Denise has a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.