IN the run up to turning 60, Lesley Foden has decided she wants to seek out an adventure whilst helping raise money for charity.

The painter from East Woodhay, near Highclere is set to embark on this year’s Rannoch Adventure GB Challenge 2017, which will see her row 1,800 miles.

Lesley’s journey will start on June 3 at Burnham-on-Crouch where she will step into the sleek rowing boat, named Liberty, and start the gruelling challenge rowing round the clock for eight-weeks.

Liberty will stop seven times to change crew for each leg but Lesley plans to row all eight legs, stopping at Cowes, Padstow, Dublin, Oban, Lochinver, Fraserburgh and Scarborough.

The 59-year-old said: “I had this mad idea to challenge myself to row around Great Britain because I will be 60 this year and I want an adventure.”

A professional still-life painter by trade, Lesley has been married to her husband Mark for 30 years, they have a daughter, Poppy. Lesley is also chairman of the East Woodhay Neighbour-Care Volunteer Driving, where she helps with ferrying people to and from their medical appointments and is a keen member of St. Martin’s Church choir where she also rings the bells.

In her search for adventure, Lesley aims to raise funds for Sea Changers and the RNLI Lifeboats, and so far has collected £9,000 through the sale of her paintings.

She added: “I want to inspire older people to exercise and to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the seas.”

As part of the challenge the 59-year-old will be rowing 24 hours a day with two hours on and two hours off. In her two hour breaks there may be time to eat, drink, steer the boat or sleep, depending on what is going on. Living only on freeze dried high energy food.

To follow her journey or to help visit row.lesleyfoden.com