Rower wary of sharks and pirates in record attempt

With the prospect of sharks and pirates ahead, Zara Lachlan said she was "terrified... but I'm really looking forward to it"

A university student is hoping to set multiple records and inspire other women by rowing solo from Europe to South America, even though she has "never seen an ocean rowing boat before".

Zara Lachlan, 21, from Cambridge, aims to become the youngest person and first woman to make that trip across the Atlantic in October, to encourage people to "do things you're scared of".

The Loughborough University physics student is promoting sport for women after some of her friends said they felt scared about going to the gym alone.

Ms Lachlan, who been rowing since she was 16, admitted she was "terrified" of the challenge ahead where she could encounter orcas, sharks and pirates.

Zara has never rowed on an ocean before

Her feat will raise money for Women in Sport, a charity aiming to address gender inequality in sport.

"They run women-only things and teach you in a safe place where you're not going to get looked at by anyone," said Ms Lachlan.

She hoped her journey itself would inspire more women to take up physical activity.

"I didn't realise the amount of women that didn't do sport and fitness because they were nervous or scared," she explained.

She said that when she moved to Dublin "all of the universities get free access to gyms, but all of my friends who are girls had never gone".

"After I told them about [the challenge], we started working out together, so now they still go even though I'm not there," she added.

Zara Lachlan wants to encourage more women to be confident in sport and fitness after her friends said they were nervous about going to places like the gym

If Ms Lachlan completes the trip of 3,600 nautical miles from Portugal to French Guiana, she would also become the youngest female to row from any mainland to mainland across the Atlantic solo.

"There's a pod of orcas off the Portugal coast that sink boats, so I'll be avoiding them, and then sharks when I get into South America," she said.

"I expect 20 to 30-foot waves during my crossing and pirates in the middle."

She learnt to sail in yachts and dinghy boats last year, but said she did not "have much experience on the open water".

Zara, left, will row for 15 hours a day and face risks posed by whales, sharks and 20ft waves

Ms Lachlan, who hopes to become a technical officer in the Army next year, will row for 15 hours a day over a three-month period and said fatigue will be a struggle.

"It's three months of being tired physically and mentally, and I'll be alone," she said.

Despite her fears, she planned to take on the challenge with a "positive" mindset.

"Everything I can control I'm going to be fine in. I'm going to have absolute faith in my boat," she said.

"Do things that you're scared of. I'm terrified to do it, but I'm really looking forward to it.

"If I can do this, then you can go to the gym."