When East Neuk businesswoman Milli Abrams tells people she’s planning to row solo across the Atlantic as part of the World’s Toughest Row, their reactions tend to be a mix of awe and disbelief.
A knitter and entrepreneur running her Tribe Yarns business from a converted cow shed on the Balcaskie Estate, near Pittenweem, the former accountant isn’t exactly the image many conjure when they think of a transatlantic rower.
But that’s precisely why she’s doing it.
The 48-year-old, soon to turn 49, is on a mission to challenge expectations – not just others’, but her own.
“Why not?” she says in an exclusive sit down interview with The Courier when asked about her motivations.
“I didn’t think someone like me could do something like this.
“And when I realised that I could, there wasn’t even a question. It was just, ‘I’m doing this.’”
A life of unlikely adventures
Milli’s journey to this 3000-mile challenge didn’t begin on the water.
Born and raised in northwest London, far from any sea breeze, she was a self-described academic child with no interest in sports or outdoor pursuits.
“I was unbelievably uncoordinated,” she laughs, recalling her childhood.
Her parents, both of Indian heritage and born in East Africa, instilled in her a drive to excel.
She grew up as the first of her generation born in the UK, navigating a world of high expectations and cultural norms.
But even as she thrived academically, Milli yearned for something more.
At just 17, she joined the Territorial Army as a medic – a surprising move for an “Indian girl who wasn’t supposed to push any boundaries in a man’s world”.
It was there, during an Army sailing course in the Mediterranean, that she fell in love with the water.
“It was magical,” she recalls. “I was allergic to insect bites at the time, so being out at sea felt like freedom.”
Milli’s path twisted in unexpected directions
Having met Darren while they were both studying accountancy at the University of East Anglia, she qualified as an accountant, won BBC National Lottery game show Jet Set a record number of times, got pregnant and emigrated to Canada where they lived in the Rockies for seven years.
By the time she was in her early 30s, she had her son, Indi, and had built a successful accounting business.
Yet something still felt unfinished.
“I’d always dreamed of sailing around the world,” she says.
So, when her son was seven, she and her husband Darren sold everything, bought a boat in Turkey, and set off on what they thought would be a four-year circumnavigation.
An Atlantic crossing that changed everything
It was during this family voyage that Milli first crossed the Atlantic, sailing from the Canary Islands to Tobago.
The experience left a profound impression.
“It was my favourite part of the trip,” she says.
“The vastness, the solitude – it was incredible.”
But it wasn’t exactly extreme. Traveling with her husband and young son meant they prioritised safety and comfort: ice, flushing toilets, and plenty of provisions.
“I didn’t scare myself enough,” she admits.
The journey eventually took them through the Caribbean, where they settled for a few years.
There, Milli worked as head of finance on Necker Island, billionaire Virgin boss Richard Branson’s private paradise.
Memories of ‘island fun’
Milli smiles when she recalls featuring in a BBC documentary in 2015.
She may have been a “middle-aged accountant” at the time, but she has fond memories of a “bit of island fun”.
“I used to run a casino night on the island, because I was so good at maths,” she laughs.
“I could go to work in a strappy dress and flip flops and enjoy lunchtime snorkelling over coral reefs.
“That’s quite a contrast to where I am now – enjoying freezing swims in the Firth of Forth and going to work wrapped in my woollies!”
However, the family’s round the world travels ended prematurely when Hurricane Irma devastated their home and Darren’s restaurant in 2017, forcing the family to return to England.
It was a painful setback.
What impact did Hurricane Irma devastation have on Milli’s health?
The stress of it all induced a giant grand mal seizure in Milli at the time.
“I wanted so badly to stay positive about it all, that I internalised the stress and trauma,” she reveals.
“I had to go sit in a hyperbaric chamber several times a week for a few months to try to get my brain to recover.”
But it also planted the seeds for a new dream.
Realising she didn’t want to be an accountant anymore after 20 years, Milli set up a yarn shop in the London borough of Richmond.
Knitting was a passion she’d had since she was seven years old.
“I’ve always had ants in my pants,” she laughs.
“That’s probably why I need the knitting – to ground me a bit. I can’t really sit around doing nothing.”
How did the move to Fife come about?
In 2023, Milli and her family relocated to Fife, setting up Tribe Yarns in a beautifully restored cow shed in the countryside.
The move was both practical and inspired.
“We wanted to get out of London,” she says, adding that it’s helped her recovery from long Covid.
“We considered Panama, but then Toby Anstruther popped in for a chat about space at Balcaskie Estate. We came up (to Fife) for a visit and just fell in love.”
Living by the sea again rekindled her connection to the water.
She began wild swimming regularly, even braving the frigid waters of Kingsbarns, Cellardyke and Pittenweem. She’s also fallen in love with local food.
Yet the pull of the sea wasn’t just about recreation. Milli started thinking about her next big challenge.
That’s when she met St Andrews businessman Henry Cheape, of Balgove Larder, just before he participated in the World’s Toughest Row last year – as featured in The Courier.
“He didn’t look like the ultra-athletic gym-junkie type I had in my head,” she says.
“I asked him, ‘Can a normal person do this?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely.’ That was it. I knew I had to try.”
The drive to row solo
In tune with her “spontaneous” character, Milli overcame some bureaucratic hurdles to sign up for the 2025 race.
The gruelling 3,000-mile journey from the Canary Islands to Antigua, starts on December 12.
Participants battle relentless waves, sleep deprivation, and physical exhaustion, often rowing 12-16 hours a day.
For Milli, the challenge will be as much mental as physical.
Turning 50 in January next year when she’s away during the race will feel symbolic.
The preparation so far hasn’t been easy. A dislocated knee in August set her training back significantly.
But Milli, ever resourceful, has already found ways to adapt.
“I decided not to have surgery. I just work out five mornings a week and hope it holds up,” she says with a grin.
Her boat, custom-designed for world-record Papua New Guinean and Australian rower Liz Wardley, is due to arrive soon.
At the time of this interview, it’s still stuck at UK Customs.
“Liz is about two inches taller than me, so it’s set up perfectly for a small person,” she says.
Once the boat is ready, training will shift into high gear, with time on the water, navigation drills, and sea survival courses.
Milli plans to knit at sea – but what do her family think?
True to her entrepreneurial spirit, Milli plans to knit every day during the crossing.
She’s already designing lightweight projects in cotton and silk that will fit into her limited space.
“I love the idea of sharing the journey with people online,” she says.
“Not just the glamorous parts, but the real, nitty-gritty stuff.”
Milli’s family is unsurprised by her latest adventure.
“They knew the moment I heard about this race that I was going to do it,” she says.
“Darren and Indi are incredibly supportive.”
Her son, now 21 and studying English literature at Durham University, has grown up witnessing his mother tackle big challenges.
Facing the unknown
As she looks ahead, Milli is both excited and apprehensive.
She knows the race will test her in ways she’s never experienced before: physical pain, isolation, and the sheer monotony of the open ocean.
At five feet, she will be the shortest and lightest ever participant and only the fourth woman in her 50s to take part.
But she’s also eager to embrace the unknown and the time alone.
“I’m looking forward to the lack of stimulus,” she says.
“It’ll be fascinating to see how I react when that’s taken away.”
And then there are the moments she knows will make it all worthwhile: the vast expanse of the Atlantic, dolphins dancing alongside the boat, and the satisfaction of relying on herself completely.
Although she does worry about the scale of plastic pollution she will encounter in the ocean.
The bigger picture
For Milli, the row is about more than personal achievement.
It’s about showing others – particularly women nearing 50 and anyone from minority backgrounds – that it’s never too late to rewrite your story.
Milli will also be raising funds for environmental action charity, The 2 Minute Foundation, and Kinross-based CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland).
As she prepares to set off on this extraordinary journey, Milli is already inspiring those around her with her courage, determination, and refusal to be defined by anyone else’s expectations.
If there’s one thing she’s learned from a lifetime of adventures, it’s that the toughest challenges often lead to the most rewarding destinations.
But she’s also clear what she doesn’t want to happen.
“I’m a fairly strong character,” she says.
“But the thing that I do worry about, genuinely, though, is my life changing as a result of this, because I don’t want that to happen, and I don’t want my relationship with Darren to change at all.
“I know a lot of people do it to run away from their current circumstances or to change something big about their lives.
“I don’t want that to happen. I love my life the way it is.”
How to follow and support Milli Abrams
Milli, who has more than 30,000 followers on Instagram via @tribeyarnslife is on the look out for sponsorship with minimum costs of 120,000 Euros to be covered.
Her progress planning for the World’s Toughest Row can also be followed via justonemorerow.org and on Instagram via @justonemorerow.atlantic
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