AN adventurous nanny from Bournemouth has set off on her latest challenge – a 2,000-mile row around Great Britain.

Claire Shouksmith, 33, departed at 8am on Saturday from Tower Bridge on the Thames in London.

Claire and the team of three other rowers will have to complete the treacherous course without leaving the boat, and without receiving any outside assistance for the duration of the challenge.

The team, which is taking part as team Pure Gym, will row in shifts, with two of them rowing while the others rest.

The team will not only be attacking the testing winds and changing tides to complete GB Row 2013, but they will also be looking to break the current world record of 26 days, 21 hours and 14 minutes.

Claire has been training at Pure Gym in Bournemouth town centre and the chain is funding the team’s attempt, which will net them £15,000 if they win and a huge £100,000 if they beat the record.

They are raising cash for Pure Gym’s charity, Cancer Research UK. Claire has also chosen to raise money for The Evelina Children’s Hospital in London.

Claire has years of rowing experience with Poole Amateur Rowing Club and has competed in the Hants and Dorset Championships as well as regattas along the South Coast.

She is no stranger to extreme challenges, having previously climbed Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside the Himalayas; conquered Mt Kilimanjaro, not once but twice on different routes, and successfully walked to the Magnetic North Pole in 2009 as part of a team competing in the Polar Race.

Claire said: “The GB Row pushes the boundaries of extreme challenges – in fact, more people have been in to space than have successfully rowed around the Great British coastline.

“Despite the obvious challenges, however, we are feeling really confident about our chances of not only completing the task, but also breaking the record. We are currently throwing everything into preparation and have all the elements needed to be successful including a terrific boat, psychological strength, physical stamina, team spirit as well as invaluable support from the guys at Pure Gym.”