Sorry it's taken a week for those of you who were awaiting a conclusion (I've only just started moving again!) but I have completed the on the updates below. Unfortunately the updates only allow for a few words so...

It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be but I think we can thank the weather for that. Waking up and going to bed in -2 with ice inside the tent and trying to eat frozen bananas was not quite what we were expecting. Physically it was tiring but considering the miles we covered with the amount of training we did we both recovered very quickly... so much so that if I didn't have Thames tummy I would have quite happily gone for a long swim on Saturday night.

We can be very grateful because although it was banana-freezingly chilly it did not rain - which would have made it twice as hard.

Would I do it again? Under pressure... yes!

Did I enjoy it? Yes - in a push the limits kind of way and although it was not an Everest expedition it was one of the biggest physical challenges that I have undertaken so far.

(Talking of which I'll be touting for more donations later in the year for the British Heart Foundation Pier to Pier swim :-) )

It only remains to say a massive final THANKYOU to everyone that supported us... including our incredible support team without whom we would not have made it. The texts and messages of encouragement from family and friends were always there in the back of our minds when we were cold and wet. Your generosity has enabled us all to do a little good somewhere so you should all be proud of yourselves too.

xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

First of all a very big Thank You to everyone that has donated we are both very grateful. The response has been inspiring and you are all just.... great.

OK, so here we are.... It's the eleventh hour and we've just about made it. 

 

Yesterday it was all a bit touch and go as 43 out of the 45 locks we are due to go through had 'red boards' up. And for those of you who are unsure what that means (as I was until yesterday) the river was quite dangerous in parts.

 

This would have meant postponing, which would have been a major disappointment, however, the majority have now been downgraded and if there is no more rain then we should be OK.

 

Claude is setting her alarm for 3am so she can pick me up at 6.30! (she still won't get here til 7) and we hope to be on the water around 10.

 

Thank you ALL again for your generosity and kind words and no doubt updates will be posted (not by me however as I will be listening to my ipod while Claude paddles) x

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Sometime last year a friend (Claude Bailey) commented on how she would like to 'celebrate' her 40th birthday by doing something memorable....however she would need an accomplice. She chose her moment (while I was relaxing on a hot day with family and several cold friends) to 'float' the idea and put it across in such a way so as not only to rouse my protective instincts (how could such a fragile little thing undertake such an odyssey without manly assistance!) but also challenge my ego. 

Needless to say I rose to the challenge. 

On 29th March (Good Friday) we are kayaking down the Thames from very near its source at Cricklade down to a pub in Teddington (pub is the key word here and Guinness the essence of that word). This is a distance of roughly 135 miles.

I have only one plan in place to save myself from more pain than is neccessary and that is bagsying the back seat of our boat. This way not only am I in control but it also means that I can 'opt out' of paddling with little or no interruption to Claudes conversation.

We have chosen two charities to turn this adventure into a more worthy cause - this one (Red Nose Day) and Cancer Research which, if you would like, you can contribute to via Claude's page(www.justgiving.com/Claudia-Bailey), Whichever you choose, it doesn't matter as we believe they are both excellent causes (as they all are) and a big Thank You in advance for your generosity and support. 

We'll let you know when and where we will be finishing our Thames Challenge so you can join us for a drink if you fancy.

FACT:

In the time it takes us to kayak down the Thames 15,000 children will die from Malaria. That’s one child every 30 seconds!!! Put another way, 37 jumbo jets full of children will die in the 6 and a half days it takes us to complete our trip. And I can’t even imagine the pain of losing one of my children.  

But your money will make a difference; increased prevention and control measures have reduction malaria mortality rates by more than 25% globally and by 33% in Africa since 2000.

£5 pays for a long-lasting insecticide treated net, protecting two lives for up to three years.

£10 pays for 200 Rapid Diagnostic Tests. That’s 5p per life saved!

£25 pays for training for 6 rural health workers over a year.