Cystic fibrosis didn't stop me rowing the Atlantic

The four women who were rowing the Atlantic from Lanzarote to Antigua arrived a week early

A woman who did not believe she would live until she was 30 due to a genetic illness affecting her ability to breathe has completed a world record-breaking rowing challenge in the Atlantic Ocean - at age 32.

Sophie Pierce, of Neyland Rowing Club in Pembrokeshire, is the first person with cystic fibrosis to brave the journey.

She was joined by three women from the club who set out on the 3,200 (5,150km) mile row from Lanzarote to Antigua in January, and they reached their goal on Thursday night, a week ahead of schedule.

Ms Pierce said the 53-day journey had been "incredibly tough" but "empowering".

"If you had told me five years ago that I would be standing here in Antigua after rowing an ocean, I would have laughed," Ms Pierce said.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Drive, she added: "Arriving at the finish line was the most Incredible feeling I've ever experienced.

"It sort of blows our mind really how much people have got behind us and how much people have invested in our journey."

She previously said she had become determined to make the most of her time after realising her illness might limit her life.

"I hope this challenge not only inspires others with cystic fibrosis to push boundaries but also helps reimagine the future."

Janine Williams, 70, who also smashed the world record of being the oldest person to row the ocean, said it had been "an adventure of a lifetime".

"People kept asking if I was worried about rowing at 70, but I never doubted we could do it. You're never too old to take on something extraordinary," she said.

She added it was "one of the hardest things" she had ever done, but credited teamwork with getting them to dry land.

They were also joined by Polly Zipperlen, 50, and Miyah Periam, 24, and have raised £20,000 for their chosen charities.

The team rowed in shifts and only stopped to eat or shelter from big waves.

Sophie Pierce, Janine Williams, Polly Zipperlen and Miyah Periam set off on the 3,200 mile journey in January

Ms Periam said it was harder than she ever imagined and Ms Zipperlen added that the ocean tested them "in every way possible".

They survived on dehydrated meals and used a water desalination machine, and carried a fridge for Ms Pierce's cystic fibrosis medication.

"This wasn't just about rowing," Ms Zipperlen added, "it was about proving what's possible when you work together and refuse to give up".

Before setting off on her trans-Atlantic challenge, Sophie had to undergo extensive hospital tests to monitor how her body might cope under stress

Despite being diagnosed as a baby, it was from a hospital bed as a teenager that Ms Pierce found out that the life expectancy for someone with the condition was "early thirties... and I remember feeling really shocked by that".

She added: "If I wasn't going to be here for a long time, I was going to make it a good time."

Ms Pierce has also climbed Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, and hiked the length of Offa's Dyke and Hadrian's Wall.

At her lowest point, her lung function dropped to 55% of how a person's of her age should be working and needed "one or two hours of physiotherapy a day, was taking over 30 tablets a day and I was having monthly hospital appointments".

A massive turning point happened when Ms Pierce received an invitation to take part in a clinical trial and, despite not knowing whether she had been given the drug or a placebo, she noticed a difference immediately.

"On the way home, I remember feeling something change in my chest but thought it was in my mind," she said.

Ms Pierce's lung function improved dramatically - from 55% to 71% - her condition is now much more stable and her visits to hospital less frequent.

What is cystic fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is the most common inherited life-threatening condition in the UK.

It affects the ability of cells to transport salt and water which can cause sticky mucous to build up.

It can affect several organs but especially the lungs and the digestive system.

Symptoms usually appear in childhood and can vary with affected organs becoming increasingly damaged.

But in recent years, according to experts, there's been an "absolute transformation" in the outlook for many patients.

"When cystic fibrosis was described in the 1930s, they used to say that a person with CF was born dying - and perhaps pass away when they were one or two years old," according to Dr Jamie Duckers, consultant at the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre.

"But the latest data... suggests if you're born now with cystic fibrosis in the UK, half are expected to live to at least 64 years old - and some new data suggests many patients can expect to live much closer to normal life expectancy."

Advances have also been made possible through screenings, such as the heel-prick test for babies, but also as Dr Duckers said, through the rollout of ground-breaking new therapies - made possible by clinical trials such as the one Sophie took part in.

"It's a real exemplar of what can be done through research," he said.