AN ocean-rowing mum who was diagnosed with bowel cancer after struggling for 40 days across the Atlantic with stomach problems is clear of the disease more than a year on from her diagnosis.

Felicity Ashley, daughter of late Monmouthshire Devauden ward councillor Bob Greenland, completed the epic 3,000-mile crossing with sister Pippa Edwards and two other mums in January 2022, constantly rowing two hours on, two hours off.

But the 47-year-old mum-of-three has revaeled that her problems worsened after returning home from their ‘Mothership’ voyage.

And after undergoing a colonoscopy, she was shocked to be diagnosed in May with stage 3 bowel cancer.

“Because of the circumstances I was in on the Atlantic, the idea of it being cancer never crossed my mind,” said the former Monmouth School for Girls pupil, who learnt to row on the Wye and raced for Wales as a junior.

“I was in complete shock to receive my diagnosis, but I have always been an optimist.

“I have always loved to take part in sport but nothing to this scale before.

“We were eating dehydrated food packs and rowing for 12 to 16 hours a day, so I assumed the changes... were down to the unusual eating patterns, excess exercise and unusual food I was eating. Still, I couldn’t get through some of my rowing shifts without needing to go to the toilet.

“I had quite a lot of discomfort and cramping in my tummy, but I assumed it was my body reacting to a new and very strange eating schedule.”

The crew even gave her a joke ‘toilet’ award, without any of them realising the cause of her problems.

She and sister Pippa, wife of Monmouth School for Boys deputy head (pastoral) David Edwards, who both grew up near Chepstow, teamed up with Oxford Blue rowers Jo Blackshaw and Lebby Eyres, battling 40-foot waves, flying fish and extreme sleep deprivation to row unaided across the ocean from the Canaries to Antigua.

Amazingly, mum-of-four Pippa was following in the blade puddles of Old Monmothian husband David, who had successfully rowed the Atlantic two years earlier.

The crew had a particularly tough Christmas Day. Pippa being attacked by flying fish, which soared out of the ocean, and the boat – a 28-foot long ocean craft called Mrs Nelson – span out of control when it was caught by a huge wave and headed north.

But they raised more than £56,000 to be split between three charities – Felix Fund, Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice and Women in Sport – from their epic voyage.

And the inspirational all-female boat said they wanted to show women and children that no challenge is too great to overcome.

But none of them imagined the huge battle that Felicity, who lives in Oxford with husband Paul and their three children, was about to face back on dry land, as just four months later she was diagnosed with a tumour.

After undergoing keyhole surgery to remove the lump, that led to three and a half months of chemotherapy.

But she has now finished her treatment and been told there is no sign of cancer, although it will be five years before she gets the all clear.

“I’ve always had a very positive attitude, and that has really helped me,” she said.

“I am an optimist and chose to see the positive in everything. I’d love to take on another challenge in the future as the Atlantic row was such an incredible experience, but as I’m currently at risk of my cancer returning, I will need to wait at least another year before I can start planning the next adventure.”

The quartet met up recently and posted: “We got together to celebrate @felicityg76 completing her chemotherapy course.

“None of us could have imagined what lay in wait for Dids when we finished in Antigua. But she has dealt with her cancer diagnosis with such calm and composure – which is no surprise to us after having rowed an ocean with her!”

Felicity is now fundraising for the Occtopus Oxford Colon Cancer trust, who helped her and promote pioneering treatment and research.

See www.justgiving.com/page/felicity-ashley-occtopus