Mark Johannsen
Andy Filler Caledonian Canal Memorial Challenge
Fundraising for Help for Heroes
Story
Andy Filler passed away tragically in a paragliding accident in Morocco on the 14th November 2009.
Andy was absolutely passionate about this Coast to Coast canoe trip across Scotland. He found the planning of it a great distraction while he battled his serious illness throughout the summer months - something to focus on and look forward to. Alison clearly appreciated how important it was to him: she told Chris soon after he died, that she would like us to carry on with the project and complete the journey for him. So, we are going to do it for BOTH of them.
Having previously discussed this project at some length with Andy, we have a good idea of what he had in mind and we will stick as closely as possible to his original plan and try to retain the 'flavour' of what he wanted to achieve: a good mixture of adventure, physical effort and fun.
The route itself is only 60 miles. Of course, we could do this non-stop and those of us that have experienced the DW would not be overawed by this. However, Andy's plan was to cover the route at a more leisurely pace, swapping drivers and paddlers if desired, over a period of 3 - 4 days. With a planned maximum of 20 miles a day, at an estimated average speed of 3.5 mph, this would mean approximately 8 hrs paddling or walking per day - a decent day's work by any standards!
We won't 'over-plan' it: Andy once said to me "it's only really fun when things start to go wrong!" He's probably right. And when things do go wrong, looking at the list who have volunteered so far, I know we have the collective resourcefulness to sort ourselves out.
Andy wanted this trip to be exclusively for folding boats, so, that's our preferred option. However, we know they're scarce and, realistically, certainly for the time being so that we can get some training in, anything that floats will do!
Thanks to all those who have volunteered. We will make this trip a great tribute to Andy: a true appreciation by his friends, of the man's sense of adventure, his camaraderie and his great sense of fun.
Thanks for taking the time to visit the JustGiving page.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - We raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate now.
Andy was absolutely passionate about this Coast to Coast canoe trip across Scotland. He found the planning of it a great distraction while he battled his serious illness throughout the summer months - something to focus on and look forward to. Alison clearly appreciated how important it was to him: she told Chris soon after he died, that she would like us to carry on with the project and complete the journey for him. So, we are going to do it for BOTH of them.
Having previously discussed this project at some length with Andy, we have a good idea of what he had in mind and we will stick as closely as possible to his original plan and try to retain the 'flavour' of what he wanted to achieve: a good mixture of adventure, physical effort and fun.
The route itself is only 60 miles. Of course, we could do this non-stop and those of us that have experienced the DW would not be overawed by this. However, Andy's plan was to cover the route at a more leisurely pace, swapping drivers and paddlers if desired, over a period of 3 - 4 days. With a planned maximum of 20 miles a day, at an estimated average speed of 3.5 mph, this would mean approximately 8 hrs paddling or walking per day - a decent day's work by any standards!
We won't 'over-plan' it: Andy once said to me "it's only really fun when things start to go wrong!" He's probably right. And when things do go wrong, looking at the list who have volunteered so far, I know we have the collective resourcefulness to sort ourselves out.
Andy wanted this trip to be exclusively for folding boats, so, that's our preferred option. However, we know they're scarce and, realistically, certainly for the time being so that we can get some training in, anything that floats will do!
Thanks to all those who have volunteered. We will make this trip a great tribute to Andy: a true appreciation by his friends, of the man's sense of adventure, his camaraderie and his great sense of fun.
Thanks for taking the time to visit the JustGiving page.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - We raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate now.