Janice Meek
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Janice "Jan" Meek
FRGS The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
(formerly Cooper and Byles, born 1944) is a British adventurer and ocean rower. In 1997 she took part in the first ever
Atlantic Rowing Race The Atlantic Rowing Race is an ocean rowing race from the Canary Islands to the West Indies, a distance of approximately 2,550 nm (2,930 statute miles or 4,700 km). The race was founded in 1997 by Sir Chay Blyth with subsequent races roug ...
, the Port St Charles Barbados Atlantic Rowing Race. Meek successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean unsupported in wooden rowing boat in 101 days with her son Daniel Byles. A decade later in 2007, she and her son walked and skied from Resolute, Nunavut to the
Magnetic North Pole The north magnetic pole, also known as the magnetic north pole, is a point on the surface of Earth's Northern Hemisphere at which the planet's magnetic field points vertically downward (in other words, if a magnetic compass needle is allowed t ...
in 20 days and 5 hours. She currently holds four
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
.


Background

Meek has owned and run several restaurants, including the prestigious De Courceys in South Wales, and has been a wedding organiser and events manager.


Adventures and expeditions


Atlantic rowing race 1997

Meek and her son Daniel Byles participated in the first ocean rowing race rowed from Tenerife to Barbados. In rowing across the Atlantic, the pair achieved two Guinness World Records: they became the first mother and son team to row any ocean. At 53, Meek became the oldest person at the time to row across any ocean, however in 2005 this record was broken by Pavel Rezvoy (66). In 2006 Meek and her son Daniel Byles were belatedly awarded a Guinness World Record certificate for being the first mother and son team to row any ocean in 1997/8.


References


External links


Jan Meek's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meek, Janice 1944 births Living people British explorers British female rowers Ocean rowers Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society People from Chipping Norton