After setting out on December 12, 2024, to tackle the World’s Toughest Row (formerly the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge), Pammie Tyson of Antigua and Barbuda and Nia Bayliss of Wales are eagerly anticipating their arrival at Nelson’s Dockyard in early February.
Live from the Atlantic on the *Good Morning Jojo* sports show, Tyson—stepmother to Olympian kiteboarder Tiger Tyson—was emotional as she reflected on the prospect of returning home.
“Being home, I am going home to this beautiful country and the beautiful people. To step off that boat into the arms of my family, my husband [Michael Tyson], who has believed in me more than I could have ever believed in myself, and into the arms of my two boys and stepchildren, including Tiger Tyson, is something I cannot wait for,” she said tearfully.
Tyson and Bayliss, rowing their boat *Lightship*, began the journey in San Sebastian de La Gomera, Spain, becoming the first female team from Antigua to take on the challenge under its new name. Several other Antiguan and Barbudan teams have previously completed the event when it was known as the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge.
The duo is rowing to raise funds for the Antigua/Barbuda Ocean Trust and the Elkhorn Marine Conservancy, two organizations dedicated to ocean conservation.
“These organizations and their volunteers work tirelessly for ocean conservation in Antigua. I’m rowing this ocean, and it is a remarkable place to be. We must respect it,” Tyson emphasized.
Bayliss, an experienced sailor, shared her excitement about joining Tyson for the challenge.
“I always wanted to do something adventurous, something big where I am tested. My family and I were cruising in the Caribbean when we met Pammie, and the rest is history. Now, we’re 333 miles away—it’s the countdown, which is unbelievable,” she said.
The pair have faced numerous challenges, including strong weather patterns early in the journey and a harrowing encounter with a massive shark that trailed them for hours. Despite these fears, they find inspiration in the beauty of the vast ocean.
Their arrival in Antigua will mark the culmination of a monumental journey, celebrating their endurance and dedication to a vital cause.
