World record ocean rower Kiko Matthews arrived in Tenby this week as part of her challenge to cycle 7200km of the Great British coastline, whilst participating in around 90 beach cleans along the way.

The ‘Kik-Plastic’ tour saw the British adventurer depart from London on May 5 as part of her challenge, where each day, she is joined by local cyclists ready to join in with part of the leg and also participate in the beach clean.

Working with existing beach clean organisers, such as the Marine Conservation Society, Keep Britain Tidy, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and British Kitesurfing Association, the tour aims to reach as many people as possible, and to expand the growing beach cleaning network around the UK, leaving a lasting legacy in local communities.

Last year Kiko became the fastest female to row the Atlantic, solo and unsupported, rowing the 3284 miles from La Gomera to Port St. Charles, Barbados in 49 days 7 hours and 15 minutes.

“I’m passionate about the environment and that we can all make positive change if we work together, as a community. My focus for this project is not to be the fastest, but to raise awareness of the problem of single-use plastic and engage communities to help tackle it,” she said.

Kiko was joined by the Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Tony Brown and Mayoress Sarah Brown at the North Beach on Tuesday evening, along with local volunteers from Sainsbury’s and members of cycling clubs Tenby CC and Tenby Aces.

“It was another glorious evening as we were joined by the Mayor of Tenby and a group of keen cyclists. Between the 20 of us we managed to remove 16kg of waste from the beach. A few plastic bottles but mainly small pieces of plastic and fishing lines,” added Kiko.