A double record breaking rower who learnt her skill at the Marlow Rowing Club has set foot on dry land following a mammoth mission across the Pacific.

Emma Mitchell has joined the likes of Olympians Sir Steve Redgrave and Naomi Riches in the string club successes after rowing 8500 miles across the ocean with the four strong Coxless Crew.

Despite finishing three months later than expected, the crew have been crowned the first all-female team and first team of four to row the Pacific after crossing the finish line in Cairns, Australia, at around 1am GMT on Monday, January 25.

After being greeted by a roaring crowd at the docks Emma said she is completely overwhelmed by the expedition’s success and is already starting to feel nostalgic for the nine months she spent at sea.

She said: “I think the magnitude of what we have achieved might not sink in until we make it back to the UK.

“As amazing as it is to be back on dry land I have come to love the ocean and the experience of spending 9 months surrounded by a 360 degree horizon watching the sunrises and sunsets, the starry nights and watching the waves.

Two other permanent members of the team joined 30 – year-old Emma on Doris – the custom made 29ft rowing boat - Laura Penhaul 32 and Natalia Cohen, 30.

They were later accompanied by 31-year-old Isabel Burnham for the first leg of the voyage to Hawaii, 27-year-old Lizanne van Vuuren for the second leg from Hawaii to Samoa and 25 year old Meg Dyos for the final stretch from Samoa to Cairns.

The women rowed in two hour shifts for 24-hours a day, taking a rest for just two hours to sleep, wash, blog and do any boat maintenance.

Emma continued: “This challenge was always going to be more of a mental one than a physical one and for me.

“The most challenging part was during the second leg where we had to cross the equator and pass through the doldrums where the adverse currents meant that we had to fight hard for every mile and spent a fair amount of time travelling backwards.

“This was hugely frustrating and was one of the main causes of the expedition taking three months longer than planned.”

Chairman of Marlow Rowing Club, John Yeatman, took the chance to congratulate Emma saying: “Even though Emma now lives in Portsmouth, Marlow is her rowing as well as her family home.

“We’ve been following Emma’s progress across the Pacific avidly and are so happy that the crew has been successful and made it safely to Australia.

“Once she gets home, we’re sure to have a party and she’s a shoe in as speaker at the next Club Supper.”

On their return to the UK the team will continue to fundraise to achieve their target of £250,000 which will go towards Breast Cancer Care and injured serviceman charity Walking With the Wounded.

To donate go to www.coxlesscrew.com or text Doris to 70300 to donate £3.