OE 2006-13
Ana Zigic (OE2006-2013) is taking on an extreme test of endurance by competing in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. Throughout the gruelling 3000-mile endeavour, Ana’s 4-woman team, There She Rows, will complete 1.5 million oar strokes, scaling waves up to 40 feet in height. The team aims to inspire the next generation of girls and women through sport. Ana’s passion for rowing started at Emanuel, although she admits the sport took its time to grow on her.
Can you tell us more about the Talisker Whisky Challenge and your involvement in it?
The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is a race from La Gomera to Antigua, beginning in December of each year, and is one of the most extreme tests of human endurance. We will row 3000 miles, the equivalent of 115 marathons, across the Atlantic Ocean, rowing two hours on and two hours off in pairs for 30-40 days, constantly tested by the elements. Our crew, There She Rows, is a four-woman crew, born out of a shared ambition to challenge the boundaries of what is possible.
By age 17, more than half of all girls will have quit playing sport altogether, and so we will utilise the row as a platform to inspire more women and girls through the power of sport.
Sport, and competition has been a key driver in all that I have achieved in my life, and I can honestly say I would be lost without it. I had to stop rowing competitively briefly due to the complications of (at the time undiagnosed) Endometriosis, a condition that affects 1 in 10 women and yet on average it takes eight years to diagnose. It is my ambition to use our platform to raise awareness of the condition. After surgery to treat my Endometriosis, I was back in a rowing boat within a month and couldn’t have been happier.
What have you been doing to prepare for the challenge?
Team recruitment was a lengthy process, ensuring that we put together a solid crew that would have the most effective team dynamic. Our ambition is to break the women’s crossing record of 34 days (conditions permitting) and to treat the campaign as elite athletes would.
We get our newly built boat in March, and until then will focus on preparing our bodies through strength, conditioning, and mobility programmes. We plan to work with ocean rowing coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, physios and a sport psychologist to prepare as best we can.
The biggest challenge for preparing however, is securing sponsorship to cover the operational costs of our row, so that we can put all grassroots fundraising towards our chosen charities.
This challenge is not only a physical challenge but a mental challenge. How do you prepare mentally for such an event?
Spending over a month in the open ocean battling waves, salt sores, sleep and sensory deprivation will test our mental fortitude. We will manage this firstly by building a strong foundation of team dynamic and working with a sport psychologist to prepare ourselves for difficult moments. We begin all our team calls and meetings by checking in on how we are feeling physically and emotionally, what our personal needs are, and what our requests are for the crew. This process will teach us about each other, and what each crewmate will need in moments of tension to best help them.
There are so many challenges that we may face such as huge storms that could capsize our boat leading to lost or broken equipment, or the occasional Marlin attack that is known to happen. The best we can do is prepare as much as possible, and then prepare some more, so that should anything happen, we know exactly how to deal with it.
How can we keep up to date with your progress?
We can be found on Instagram at @theresherows and my account @anaontheboat. Should anyone want to have a conversation about potential leads for sponsorship, sponsorship in kind, or simply want to help in any way, we would love to hear from you. Our email is: theresherows@gmail.com.
Is this your biggest challenge to date?
This is absolutely my biggest challenge to date, but I don’t think it will be my last. Who knows, the Pacific may be on the horizon. Although this challenge is compounded by the fact that I am also planning my wedding which will be just three months before the row!
Do you think you will turn to other sports when you’ve completed the row?
I have been tempted to venture into CrossFit after the row. I am also interested in doing some more serious hiking of iconic mountains and seeing where that might take me.
What role did Emanuel play in your rowing experiences?
Emanuel was my first introduction to rowing and, at first, I can’t say it was for me. Cold, wet and blisters were not my idea of a good time. This changed in Year 9, when rowers who showed promise were invited to the weekend sessions. I wasn’t asked at first (of course, my enthusiasm was minimal), but this switched on my competitive drive.
Fast forward to 6th form, racing in the quarterfinals at the Henley Women’s Regatta, and coaching on weekends as part of my DofE, there is now a lovely WinTech single with my name on it sitting on Emanuel boat club’s racks. Emanuel was my gateway to rowing, and I can’t say I’d have started rowing, let alone got hooked on the sport, had I not had the opportunity to try it at Emanuel.
What are your stand-out memories or highlights of your time at Emanuel?
My standout memory was hearing our crew called through the tannoy at Henley Women’s Regatta, announcing we had qualified in the double. It had been a complicated season, and after a lacklustre performance at my final National Schools, it was very much the race we needed. I remember quite literally jumping for joy on the pontoon and hugging my crewmate.
What did you go on to study when you left Emanuel?
My journey wasn’t quite linear; I originally went to Royal Holloway to study Psychology but decided it probably wasn’t for me. I made the choice to leave the university, do the classic loop around South America to figure out what I wanted, and re-enrolled to study Law at the University of Bristol. I then completed my MSc in Sport Business and Leadership at Loughborough.
Did you row at university?
I did, and very much enjoyed rowing at Bristol. I went to pre-season ahead of the start of term, which took away a lot of the nerves of moving to a new city. Although we did manage to capsize a coxed four on day two of pre-season, a feat that I still can’t quite explain. I stopped rowing in my final year at Bristol and chose to volunteer as a coach for the university novice squad instead. It is amazing to see some of the (ex)novices still racing a few years on.
What is your current job role?
Strategy and Insights Senior Account Executive at Cake (Havas).
What does your role involve?
I’m very lucky to work in my chosen industry at Cake, a sport and culture creative agency. My role involves undertaking consumer research using various tools to draw out insights to feed into strategies, as well as undertaking effectiveness tracking of campaigns. Cake has an incredible set of clients of both rights holders and brands with partnerships in sport, working within a meaningful brands framework. No day is the same as the one before, and I’ve had so many amazing opportunities at my time at Cake.
How much time will you be taking out of the business to do the challenge?
I will be taking out a total of three months for the race, as it is required to be in Antigua for two weeks before the race to complete boat inspections, and two weeks in Antigua on the other side to basically learn how to walk on land again. This includes a time buffer for the race, in the worst-case scenario of a storm that impacts our progress. Cake has been incredible in their support ever since I approached the head of my team about my intention to take part in the Atlantic Challenge.
What are your interests outside of rowing?
Unsurprisingly, sport is one of my major interests. I am a huge fan of the NFL, and WNBA, and will shout about women’s sport in any format all day, every day. An ambition for my future is to work for an American football or basketball rights holder.
Outside of consuming sport in every way I can think of, my sense of adventure takes me around the world, and I love a solo trip to explore new places and cultures.
