A WYE oarswoman who survived cancer after rowing the Atlantic has added paddling across the Pacific to her list of incredible achievements – spurred on her way by loud renditions of Bonnie Tyler's epic anthems.

Felicity Ashley - daughter of late Monmouthshire Council deputy leader Bob Greenland - and her two Row For Life crew mates successfully rowed the 2,800 miles across the Mid Pacific Ocean from Monterey in California to Kaua'i in Hawaii.

And she revealed their "tribute" to the legendary singer, who sadly passed away in July, by posting: "You know an artist’s legacy is unmatched when a crew in the middle of the Pacific Ocean spends their night shift singing her anthems.

"An incredible energy, iconic music, and a voice that will never be forgotten. This one was for you, Bonnie Tyler, from one Welsh woman to another!"

Felicity, right, and her crew mates light therir flares to signal the end of their Pacific row
Felicity, right, and her crew mates light their flares to signal the end of their Pacific row (World's Toughest Row)

The mum-of-three, who turned 50 in the middle of the 39-day row and grew up near Chepstow, crossed the Atlantic in 2022 with three other mums, including sister Pippa Edwards in a boat they dubbed 'The Mothership'.

But stomach pains endured through the 3,000-mile crossing were diagnosed as cancer just four months later, sparking a year-long health battle before finally being given the all clear, while her father, who lived near Usk, passed away with the disease during her own illness.

The experience only made her stronger though, becoming a motivational speaker and publishing a best-selling book Stronger Than the Storm: One Woman’s Journey of Adventure, Adversity and Unbreakable Spirit.

And she then showed her own indomitable resolve by teaming up with two other women touched by cancer – Janette Potgieter and Victoria Peddie-Bell – to attempt a row across the Pacific in 'The World's Toughest Row'.

Team Row For Life celebrate winning the fastest women's crew prize
Team Row For Life celebrate winning the fastest women's crew prize (World's Toughest Row)

They refused to be defined by life’s storms and took on the challenge, not despite their struggles, but because of them.

And they not only made it, they won the women's team prize for fastest crossing in 39 days 14 hours and raised over £17,000 for Cancer Research UK, making a huge statement “that midlife women are just getting started – that mothers don’t lose their edge and that cancer survivors can still chase horizons”.

During the challenge the team had to face sleep deprivation, chafing skin, sea sickness, and a relentless schedule of rowing two hours on and two hours off, 24 hours a day, sometimes on seas with waves 20-feet high.

Felicity Ashley, left, and her crew mates battled 20 foot waves, sleep deprivation, chafing skin, sea sickness, and a relentless schedule of rowing two hours on and two hours off
Felicity Ashley, left, and her crew mates battled 20 foot waves, sleep deprivation, chafing skin, sea sickness, and a relentless schedule of rowing two hours on and two hours off (World's Toughest Row)

Felicity, who rowed for Wales as a junior while at Monmouth School for Girls under the guidance of Welsh Rowing chief John Hartland, said after coming ashore: "Every stroke honoured the strength we’ve discovered through adversity – the grit that carried us through chemotherapy, the resilience that turns self-doubt into determination and the power that emerges when women support each other.

“The past 40 days have been tough, but we have been tougher. The 2026 World’s Toughest Row threw every condition at us, and we still came out as Women's class winners!

“It was an incredible adventure. Physically and mentally gruelling, but that’s what we expected and what I wanted.

“I wanted to challenge myself and prove to myself, and others, that I have come back from cancer stronger.

“There were some really tough times, particularly at the start of the race when we faced huge wind and waves threatening to push us back to land, and which knocked our boat onto its side.

“But we’d prepared for these conditions, which meant we handled it calmly and carried on. It’s when you need to dig deep, and you come through smiling, that you realise just how capable and resilient you are.

“I feel immensely privileged and grateful to have had the opportunity, health and support to row not just one ocean, but now two, and become one of fewer than 15 women (alongside Monmouth RC’s Elaine Theaker) to have rowed both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

“These challenges aren’t just a result of the crew in the boat; we had a huge network of supporters around us who collectively made this possible, and I want to thank each and every one of them for playing their part.

“Crossing the finishing line and seeing my family was emotional and uplifting - the culmination of a year of hard work and preparation, and a reminder that we are all capable of achieving extraordinary goals and dreams."

To support their fundraising efforts, go to https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/donate