My story

Canoe Challenge Completed!

So, we did it! And we are all alive and well and here to tell the story, so here goes..!

It all started with a 2 hour trek across the Peak District straight after work on Friday, then unpacking and setting up the tents by the light of the headlamps.  By 9pm it was raining again and so it was off to the welcoming fires of the Anchor Inn to warm up and get some dutch courage for the day ahead.

Saturday also began in the dark, but this time at 5.30am! An hour later we were scoffing bacon butties and gearing up at the check-in point. After another sprint across country, we finally got underway at 8 in glorious weather, with the first paddlers, Paul & Andrew, making superb progress overtaking one team and keeping ahead of the Endeavour Chesterfield crew. Alas this could not last and a couple of stages later we had fallen a good 10 minutes behind Endeavour and it was clear we had a race on our hands!

We quickly found our rhythm though, and one of the most impressive aspects of the day was the teamwork– Amar’s highly capable driving of the minibus was ably assisted by James and Jason armed with a TomTom app that could make sense of the longitude and latitude co-ordinates for the changover points. Matt and other non-rowers made it their job to jog alongside, help at locks and act as a beacon for the long hauls, thereby enabling the rowing pairs to focus their energies entirely on ploughing the boat forward as fast as possible. With the whole operation running like clockwork, and notwithstanding Sam and Morgan being rammed by an incompetent narrowboater, we gradually drew level with Endeavour over the next gruelling 7 hours or so!

At the final changeover we were neck and neck, and a sterling effort by Ian and Paul, both on their 4 rowing stint, nudged us ahead… but only until the last few hundred yards, when - within sight of the finishing line - Endeavour struck back, and with a superhuman effort piloted their canoe to finally end 2 boat lengths in front of team ESP. Not that it mattered! We had smashed our previous time by a clear hour, completing the 33 mile course in 8 and a half hours and raising over £1300 for Endeavour in the process.

A hot shower and a few well-earned drinks back at the campsite rounded the day off, and although it was a shame we had to pack up in the driving rain on Sunday morning, I think its safe to say that we all went home with a glow in our hearts!

So, on behalf of the whole team, we’d like to thank all sponsors again for helping to make this exciting and memorable event a success. And as for the team, all I can say is ‘you did us proud’! Go ESP!

 

My gallery 1

My Teams

My company

My charity

Endeavour

Endeavour

Charity Registration No. 275061

Endeavour was founded in 1955 as an organisation committed to development training for young people. Using experiential learning, the outdoor environment and challenging activity as learning tools, it has become a well-respected organisation in the delivery of programmes of personal social development to disaffected young people.

Donations 56

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Donation by Chris Bates on 27/09/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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Good luck to you all! Have a great weekend.

Donation by Darren Platts on 27/09/10

£15.00

+ £4.23 Gift Aid

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Good luck to all

Donation by Raymond Heard on 26/09/10

£30.00

+ £8.46 Gift Aid

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Good luck Paul and all of the team!!

Donation by Kirsty on 26/09/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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Hey Carla, Good luck with the challenge - watch out for the things lurking beneath the canal ;-)

Donation by Jane Hardcastle on 25/09/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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Wishing the best of luck to Andrew and the team from Stafford.

Donation by Vera Crook on 24/09/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Good Luck Jay and the rest of the team

Donation by Jason Heard on 22/09/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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Good luck canoe team

Donation by Ann Howard on 21/09/10

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

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My arms are aching thinking about it! Good luck.

Donation by Stuart Pybus on 20/09/10

£15.00

+ £4.23 Gift Aid

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Good luck Paul and team, enjoy yourselves

Donation by Ken Slack on 18/09/10

£5.00

+ £1.41 Gift Aid

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Good luck Paul !

Donation by Lisa Slack on 18/09/10

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Good Luck Team, sorry I can't be there, but I know you will do ESP proud, Happy Paddling

Donation by Kenneth Stones on 15/09/10

£100.00

+ £28.21 Gift Aid

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Good luck guys!

Donation by J Turner on 15/09/10

£5.00

+ £1.41 Gift Aid

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Good luck, all the best, god bless you brave souls he he

Donation by tracey lightbody on 15/09/10

£5.00

+ £1.41 Gift Aid

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Good Luck Glenn and everyone!

Donation by Jackie Curtis on 15/09/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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enjoy ^^

Donation by christine killian on 14/09/10

£20.00

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Good Luck Guys!

Donation by Chris Wheater on 14/09/10

£25.00

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Good luck with the challenge!

Donation by LJ on 14/09/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Donation by Glenna Pryor on 13/09/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Good luck guys - don't forget the thermals!

Donation by MARYLYN TURNER on 12/09/10

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

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Good luck everybody!x

Donation by Joanna Curtis on 12/09/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Happy to support ESP for the canoe race. Its a really good cause. Hope the weather is hot and sunny! Good Luck

Donation by Linda Howard on 12/09/10

£80.00

+ £22.56 Gift Aid

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blAaAaAaAH

Donation by mRS QuAcK on 10/09/10

£10.00

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Good luck guys, plenty of pics please Carla x

Donation by JAYNE SAUNDERS on 10/09/10

£5.00

+ £1.41 Gift Aid

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Donation by Amar Khan on 09/09/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

Donation summary

  • * Online donations$1,625.03
  • Offline donations$0.00
  • Text donations$0.00
  • Total raised$1,625.03
  • Gift Aid$432.64

* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.