Leanne Maiden's bid to row solo across Atlantic Ocean should inspire us all to do 'ambitious, crazy things' – Scotsman comment

Rowing the Atlantic Ocean should be an extraordinary way to experience the real world

Leanne Maiden, 42, from Bearsden, hopes to become the first South African woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean solo (Picture: World's Toughest Row/PA Wire)

Such are the attractions of the digital age that it can be difficult to persuade young people to expand their horizons beyond the vast virtual world contained within their smartphones. However, the actual, physical world will always be more important, more beautiful and, most crucially, more real.

So, for all the importance of computer skills, encouraging children to limit their screen time is something that many parents long tried to do. However, even those most committed to this task must surely be somewhat in awe of Leanne Maiden, a 42-year-old South African who lives in Bearsden.

She plans to spend about 85 days rowing, on her own, across the Atlantic Ocean – a distance of some 3,000 miles – partly to raise money for charity, but also to inspire her sons to do “ambitious, crazy things themselves”. Now, we hesitate to suggest everyone should do the same – even the Atlantic might get a bit crowded.

However, what we can all do is set our sights on our own personal challenge – to inspire ourselves, our children and anybody else who takes an interest.