I thought I'd die by 30, now I'm rowing the Atlantic

Despite being diagnosed as a baby, it was from a hospital bed as a teenager that Sophie Pierce first found out about the seriousness of her condition.

"I Googled it and discovered, at that time, the life expectancy for someone with cystic fibrosis was early thirties... and I remember feeling really shocked by that," said Sophie.

"And as I got older it became really stark."

Yet she is now 32, and in mid-January, Sophie, along with three other women from Pembrokeshire, will attempt to row 3,200 miles (5,149 km) from Lanzarote to Antigua.

Realising her genetic illness, which affects her ability to breathe, might limit her life, Sophie became determined to make the most of however long she had left.

"I was going to give it my best shot," she said.

"If I wasn't going to be here for a long time, I was going to make it a good time."

Sophie took part in a number of challenges including climbing Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, and hiking the length of Offa's Dyke and Hadrian's Wall.

But she struggled, with her lungs deteriorating more as time went on.

By her mid-twenties even routine activities had become difficult.

"I was getting out of breath, and even though I was doing more treatments, my health was still declining," she added.

At her lowest point, Sophie's lung function dropped to 55% of how a person's of her age should be working.

She added: "I had one or two hours of physiotherapy a day, was taking over 30 tablets a day and I was having monthly hospital appointments... but my body was struggling."

A massive turning point occurred when Sophie received an invitation to take part in a clinical trial at Llandough Hospital in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan.

"I had seen through social media that the drug was already available in America," she said.

"I phoned the hospital and was really fortunate to get the last space on the drug trial."

Despite not knowing whether she had been given the drug or a placebo - Sophie said she noticed a difference immediately.

"On the way home, I remember feeling something change in my chest but thought it was in my mind," she said.

"But I, basically, spent the next 24 hours coughing up what felt like 27 years of mucus.

"It was horrific... but I've barely coughed since."

Sophie's lung function improved dramatically - from 55% to 71% - her condition is now much more stable and her visits to hospital less frequent.

This has led to her undertaking her biggest challenge yet, to become the first person with cystic fibrosis to row an ocean.

"I feel I'm living a life, that at the end of my life, I can look back at and be really proud of," she said.

The 60-day challenge across the ocean, from Lanzarote to Antigua, aims to raise money for charity, and is the culmination of three years of preparation.

The 10ft (three metres) vessel will include a solar and battery-powered fridge to keep Sophie's medication cool.

A team of scientists has also adapted her nebulisers - devices that turn medication into mist - and made them waterproof.

And along with training with the rest of the crew, Sophie has made some specific preparations.

In December, she spent two weeks at the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre having intensive physiotherapy, antibiotics and testing how her lungs might respond.

Nurse and fellow crew member Polly Zipperlen has also been given a "crash course" by the cystic fibrosis team, to prepare her in case Sophie become unwell, especially if that happens in the middle of the ocean.

"There are times when our closest neighbours will be on the International Space Station - 250 miles up in space," she said.

Poppy said the team will need to rely on good communication.

She added: "It'll be for Sophie to say 'I don't feel very well, I need to change, do less rowing, take on more food or extra medication'.

"But we'll also have a land-based crew with 24-hour cover to call if we're in difficulty."

Cystic fibrosis is the most common inherited life-threatening condition in the UK.

It affects the ability of cells to transport salt and water which can cause sticky mucous to build up.

It can affect several organs but especially the lungs and the digestive system.

Symptoms usually appear in childhood and can vary with affected organs becoming increasingly damaged.

But in recent years, according to experts, there's been an "absolute transformation" in the outlook for many patients.

"When cystic fibrosis was described in the 1930s, they used to say that a person with CF was born dying - and perhaps pass away when they were one or two years old," according to Dr Jamie Duckers, consultant at the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre.

"But the latest data... suggests if you're born now with cystic fibrosis in the UK, half are expected to live to at least 64 years old - and some new data suggests many patients can expect to live much closer to normal life expectancy."

Advances have also been made possible through screenings, such as the heel-prick test for babies, but also as Dr Duckers said, through the rollout of ground-breaking new therapies - made possible by clinical trials such as the one Sophie took part in.

"It's a real exemplar of what can be done through research," he said.