It's great when female athletes do get the recognition they deserve. The coverage of the Coxless Crew and their magnificent achievement in rowing across the Pacific Ocean (San Francisco - Cairns) was pretty good - although I was bemused to read in The Guardian that the crew were the first "rowing four at a time" to make the crossing. Their boat's definitely a double, leaving space for two rowers to rest while two row ...

Technically there were six women involved in the Coxless Crew's efforts: Laura Penhaul, Natalia Cohen and Emma Mitchell rowed the whole way, with Isabel Burnham, Lizanne van Vuuren and Meg Dyos each joining for one leg.

They're the first all-female crew to make the crossing and the first four to try it too. It took them 257 days in total, but they made it, and judging by the online reaction, are an inspiration to women everywhere.

The Coxless Crew join a proud tradition of British rowers trying to cross oceans. The first solo crossing of any ocean was in 1969 when Brit John Fairfax crossed the Atlantic. Americans were the first women to row across an ocean: Kathleen Saville crossed the Atlantic in a pair in 1981, and Tori Murden was the first female solo ocean rower to successfully complete a crossing, in 1999. Brits Sarah Outen and Roz Savage have both completed multiple ocean crossings solo. (See this list of ocean rowing stats for more).

The first all-female ocean four was a British crew who crossed the Atlantic only a decade ago. So the Coxless Crew are the latest in a small, but growing number, of tough, dedicated women who are determined to do something extraordinary.

They've been raising money for Walking with the Wounded and Breast Cancer Care. Despite the coverage, the amount raised is still a long way off the target of £250,000. Perhaps the best way of applauding the Coxless Crew's physical efforts is to support their fundraising efforts and helping them reach their goal.