Hi,
"Not even fierce weather, mountainous seas, and severe sleep deprivation could stop Dame Ellen MacArthur from setting the world record for sailing around the world solo in a mere 71 days. This physically and mentally grueling task was executed by the then 28-year-old from land-locked Derbyshire, who (had) discovered her passion for sailing before she even entered elementary school. Recently, Ellen has turned her attention to breaking records in the waters around Asia. This week she talks to Lorraine Hahn about her tenacious drive, how she handles the extended bouts of loneliness, and her experiences sailing in Asia".
1. Is the 'then' here implied when Dame E. did the world sailling thing she was only 28 and that she is older now? Yes
2. The original text was without 'had'. Is it correct? Is 'had' acceptable here? Either is acceptable.
3. The words highlighted in green color, is it happened to be a typo which handles supposed to be, handler, or the 'the' is redundant. If this sentence is grammatically correct, could you explain why? It should be as I have corrected it in red
Best wishes, Clive