Couple's relationship to be studied on Atlantic row

A couple from Nottinghamshire who are preparing to row across the Atlantic have attracted the interest of psychologists in Switzerland.

Ian and Jooles Paillin-Dean, from Ratcliffe-on-Soar, will be taking part in the World's Toughest Row, which covers about 3,000 miles (4,828 km).

The couple, who have three children, hope to become the fastest mixed pair to complete the race from the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean, starting in December.

Researchers at the University of Zurich, who are studying how couples behave in extreme circumstances and whether being in a romantic relationship affects how they act as a team, have asked the pair to take part.

Ms Paillin-Dean was originally preparing for the challenge with her former partner, but he died from cancer in 2020.

Waves of up to 30ft high are expected during the race, which will involve their pair rowing around the clock for weeks.

Ms Paillin-Dean and her husband have already undergone lengthy interviews, which will be repeated as their preparations continue.

They will then record daily video and voice diaries during the race for the researchers about how they are feeling and performing together, followed by more interviews afterwards.

"This sounds like an important study and we're happy to support it, even if means we'll be well and truly under the microscope," she said.

Mr Paillin-Dean added: "We're under no illusions about how tough the race will be, including things like blisters and sleep deprivation for weeks."

When completing the challenge, the couple plan to raise money for Leicestershire hospice Loros.

Other couples in the study are involved in mountaineering, Antarctic expeditions, and analogue astronaut crews, where people take part in field tests that have physical similarities to space.

Monika Maślikowska, leader of the project at the University of Zurich, said researchers are keen to understand how romantic relationships affect endurance efforts.

"Isolated, confined and extreme environments that we are studying, such as long duration team sports competitions, put significant psychological pressure on the people involved," she said.

"Research demonstrates that the presence of a romantic partner in such circumstances can provide emotional support to the individuals, [but] in contrast negative emotions might also spill over... this poses additional challenges for the collaborating team."

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