Since December 2022, I have been training to circumnavigate (kayak around) the Mainland UK.
I’m 32-years-old. A Physiothapist by trade and once upon a time member of the U23 Great British Team.
My background in paddling is within 200 sprint, which I stopped in 2014, but I rekindled my love for the sport by paddling on the sea.
I owe a lot to my Mum. She raised my sisters and I as a single parent. She worked hard and often long hours as a District Nurse. At one point she was working, parenting, and finishing a degree simultaneously. Despite balancing all of this, she has always been an amazing Mum.
When I took up paddling, as a family we struggled to find the resources I needed to be competitive. Despite often facing barriers, I never heard the words ‘you can’t’ only ‘how can we achieve it’. Without this attitude, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
I have also learned how to navigate through tough times by her example. Despite having to work through a lot of difficulties, she always retained a lightness and a focus on gratitude. She was incredibly conscientious and supportive, one thing that struck me at her funeral was the number of people that told me how Mum was a source of strength and support for so many.
Mum also inspired my own career choice, working in healthcare. She loved her job, and found great value and purpose within it. She would often tell me how privileged she felt to be in a position to help others.
As you can probably tell, I have always enjoyed a close relationship with my Mum. Spending lots of time in the car together driving between various canoeing races provided a unique bonding opportunity. Although sometimes the support at the races themselves left a lot to be desired. Such as the many times she would lock my paddles in the car and disappear up the other end of the regatta lake 10 minutes before a selection race…
After I stopped paddling we would still spend a lot of time together. I would see her most Sundays, which would involve either roast dinners with the family or countryside walks. As a family we have always recognised how lucky we have been to have this routine, which despite her loss, we have continued.
In her final years, she was really hitting her stride. After decades of financial struggle, she now experienced security in that domain. She was also semi-retired, which gave her a nice balance of doing a job that fulfilled her, while also being able to take advantage of mid-week spa days. For the first time in a long time, all three of her children were living on the same continent, and she was getting to spend time with and watch her grandchildren grow up.
Having this all end abruptly, and in the manner in which it did, has been difficult to accept. But there is some comfort in her death. Mum loved life and did the best she could with the hand she was given. While her time with us was shorter than we would have liked, the time we did have together was filled with love.
I’ll be paddling around the UK for her, and for the other patients and families affected by aortic dissection.
Taking my body from 96 kg of hibernation physique to a paddler with a large endurance base was not easy. Pushing my body to achieve this often resulted in the degradation of my hands and feet. If you’re squeamish, scroll on with caution.
I have always been into fitness, but until recently I’d been into fit’ness this face full of doughnuts.
In all seriousness, combining work and academia caused me to pile on weight. This is what I looked like at the time I decided to take on this challenge. 96 kg with a Vo2 max of about minus 10. At this stage, climbing one flight of stairs was considered aerobic exercise.
This post was in relation to a surf ski paddle I did around Rangitoto (a volcanic island in New Zealand).
It was one of my first ever surf ski paddles. It was in the heat of day, I had bought 500ml of water and no food as I was told it would be a short trip with the tides (it’s here that I understood that distance is relative)… however, it was not a short trip (in my eyes). After rescuing a seagull in fishing line and taking a swim, I eventually made it to shore. This was the most exhausted I have ever been.
This version of me was still fitter than the version that started on this fundraising journey.
Just getting to the place where I can tell people I am doing this fundraiser, and they take me seriously, hasn’t been easy. I have heard more people tell me I can’t do it than I can.
Managing my own doubts is one thing, but trying not to adopt the doubts of others can be difficult, and requires you to reassess your commitment levels.
This is what my hands looked like after my 10 laps of the Elmbridge stretch. JUICY. The river was on red boards that day, so the upstream legs were particularly laborious.
This was a tough day out, not just because of the monotony of 10x10km laps and the blisters, but because I was paddling past my car and the promise of dry clothes and a warm drink every lap.
I’ve had some bad days on the water, I’d say this is a top 3 contender.
Planning a lap of the Isle of Wight can be tricky due to the complexity of the tides. I got this spectacularly wrong and spent 50 km going against a spring tide (these are particularly fast around the Isle of Wight).
At the time of taking the photo I still had another 20 km to paddle against the tide. Absolutely awful.
This was another sore one. I still don’t know what I kicked when I was getting into the boat that day, but I’m assuming whatever it was is worse off than me.
I tend to wear shoes when I go paddling now – lesson learned!
Kingston to Chelsea – 24 km each way, with a 2 km walk shouldering my boat down Chelsea embankment. This has been a good, and brutal way to get the miles in.
Unfortunately, my work structure means that if I have the tide with me on the way in, it’ll be against me on the way home. I’ve had some tough times on the tideway.
In 2023, while up in Scotland, I trialled a surf ski camp trip on Loch Lomond. Despite this being a competition ski and not for touring, I made it work. It was a lovely paddle out at sunset to Inchconnacan.
The sleep mind you was awful. Something very eerie about camping alone on an uninhabited island… I’ll need to get over that.
Training for the DW with Tom has been great for providing structure to my training program, while also getting to spend my weekends with one of my best mates.
Unfortunately, injury ruled me out of the race, so I ended up spectating over Easter weekend!
My background in paddlesport.
I started my journey in plastic boats on the canal. At the age of 13/14 I got into Flatwater Racing, largely thanks to Brian Gandy and Richard Somerset. I haven’t looked back since.
At 16/17 years old, this was my first and last selection representing the GB marathon team, in Crestuma, Portugal.
At the tender age of 23 I raced my last race for GB at the U23 Szeged World Championships, Hungary. After this, I went back to college and started my journey to becoming a Physiotherapist.
