A BRITISH father has become the first person to row solo across the Pacific from North America to Australia in one unbroken journey.

    John Beeden, 53, touched land for the first time in nearly seven months as he arrived in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, having rowed 7,400 nautical miles since setting off from San Francisco in the U.S. on June 1.

    The father-of-two, from Sheffield, took on the challenge after previously rowing the Atlantic in 53 days and not finding it challenging enough.

    His Pacific trip took three months longer than expected due to severe weather.

    After stepping off his 19-foot (5.8-meter) boat, Sunday, to be greeted by wife Cheryl and his two daughters, Beeden said, “To be the first person to achieve something on this scale is incredible really.

    “I haven’t processed it yet. Every day there was some massive challenge.”

    Beeden told Sky News he had rowed for 15 hours a day during the challenge, which took 209 days.

    “It was 10, 15, 100 times harder than I thought it would be.

    “It wasn’t the record I was interested in. I did the Atlantic three years ago and, not that I found it easy, but it didn’t push me as far as I thought it would so I went out looking for a difficult challenge and I found one that was definitely what I was looking for.”

    Beeden’s highs and lows during the journey were documented on Twitter.

    His final low came during the last push on Christmas Day when he tweeted: “I’m exhausted, heat & humidity horrible two day [sic].

    “Have received some brilliant messages of support which will help get me to the finish line.”

    Cheryl Beeden praised her husband and said that he would not stop aiming for more records.

    She said, “He’s an amazing guy, he’s different than a lot of other people — he’ll always fight to get the mile when he’s having a bad day ... he’ll always be rowing.

    “I kind of think it’s like childbirth because he says he’s not going to get in another boat for a while — but I am sure in a couple of weeks he’ll be having some other adventure, and I will have to restrain him a little bit.”

    (SD-Agencies)