Raised: 46%
Target: £50,000.00
Raised so far: £22,751.00
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My story

 

Adam Huntington Whiteley and Hugo Llewelyn have been life long friends and have shared since childhood many of the same interests in life. Upto January 2008 however this sphere of interests had not included kayaking of any kind, not least trying to cross the world's busiest shipping lane with only 8 months of training and a beginner's grasp of french...

However, owing to personal circumstances, we wanted to do something difficult, dangerous and different to raise as much money and publicity as possible for leukaemia research at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, which provides the most extraordinary life line to many of Great Britain's young children with this hideous disease. Adam's father died from the disease in late 2005, and Hugo is a trustee of GOSHCC, the charity that supports the hospital, hence the cause we are supporting.

You may well have heard of our charity, but if not, it is a world-class children’s hospital, with the broadest range of paediatric specialists under one roof anywhere in the .  They welcome around 150,000 patient visits each year, treating those with the most complex, life-threatening or life-limiting conditions, of which Leukaemia is one.  They are also totally committed to finding treatments and cures for some of the rarest and most difficult illnesses, and all the money we raise will be put towards research in the area of leukaemia. See www.gosh.org for more information here.

Consequently, full of severe mis-givings about what we were about to do, on Friday 29th August, after a week of delays caused by bad weather, we set out from Dover at 5 am in the morning to attempt to cross the English Channel in sea-kayaks. The weather was settled, and Dover looked at its best in the dark, and heading towards France.

By mid-day, after 6 hours and 45 minutes of gruelling slog, avoiding the international shipping lanes, overcoming sea sickness, and the notorious currents between England and France, not to mention 3 Great White Shark moments (these turned out to be sea-weed!) we finally set foot on French soil as our picture shows, which was a huge relief for two very exhausted individuals.

Having done a fair number of triathlons, marathons, 1/2 iron men, climbing Kilimanjaro and the like, I can safely say it was the most mentally difficult challenge I have faced, and as physically demanding as any. The relief of making it was enormous.

We are so far up to half way in our target £50,000 and any continuing support would be much appreciated. The other half we hope to secure at our party Just Desserts, in London's Hammersmith town hall on Saturday 27th September - all the details of that are at www.justgiving.com/justdesserts

We are extremely grateful to you for your support in this venture and hope to see you at the party too...

Adam and Hugo

It will be the longest time you have ever looked backwards! Good luck Donation by John Ballard 13/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Good luck!!! Hope you don't get sea sick! Donation by Alex McGhee 13/06/08  

£150.00 + £42.31 Gift Aid

Rather you than me... Good luck! Donation by Sharon Williams 12/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Amazing. Go for it! Donation by Jeremy Wakeham 12/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

take the M20 from London then straight on at Dover Donation by Bernard Stevenson 10/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Good luck Donation by Ed Gardiner-Hill 10/06/08  

£101.00 + £28.49 Gift Aid

good luck Donation by Andrew Fane 10/06/08  

£101.00 + £28.49 Gift Aid

Op Frankton started with 12 men & ended with 4! Fingers crossed for better odds for you 2 & massive dollops of good luck. Phil Donation by Phil, Lorns, Io and Rafe 10/06/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Name 3 good things about Europe: 1. The 2. English 3. Channel. Masses of Luck! Donation by Anna Stephens 09/06/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

rather you than us! Donation by Alex Wildman 09/06/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Remember it takes a tanker 28 miles to stop Donation by Elks 09/06/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Best of luck, great effort. Donation by Tim Dunn 08/06/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Best of luck! Donation by Clare Lockhart 08/06/08  

£100.00

Paddle well you mad fools! Hugo, we always thought you were a good dresser! Very good luck for a great cause. Donation by Monty & Fran 06/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Top effort and good luck! Donation by Ben & Sarah Newman 06/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Don't forget the French naval motto: A l'eau, c'est l'heure. Donation by Alex, Charlotte, Max and Ivo 06/06/08  

£250.00 + £70.51 Gift Aid

presumably this is just training for a pacific attempt? Donation by Sophie J 06/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

We'll sponsor a paddle on the condition you don't leave it up the creek.. Donation by Morelli/Tiger Recruitment 06/06/08  

£350.00

Watch out for the croques, messieurs! Donation by Stephen Georgiadis 06/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Presumably Hugo will be the worst dressed man inhe channel as well as at Protego. I'd like to sponsor your 80's gurnsey. Donation by andrew mckay 06/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Good luck! Donation by Charlie C 06/06/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

I d like to sponsor the underside of the boat please Donation by Rob Smith 06/06/08  

£200.00 + £56.41 Gift Aid

Is that a kayak in your pocket?..... Donation by Woody 05/06/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Remember not to put any heating devices on the boat. You can`t have your Kayak and heat it. Good luc Donation by Gary Steinberg 05/06/08  

£200.00 + £56.41 Gift Aid

Best of luck! Donation by Alex Sutherland 04/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Remember binoculars, passport and the National flags for the landing. Donation by Melissa Eisdell 04/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Amazing challenge, and well done for putting kayaking back on the map. This looks more glamorous than the Devizes to Westminster race! Donation by Dom Fry 04/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Good luck Hugo and Adam. A really cause Donation by Ginny Hutchins 04/06/08  

£200.00 + £56.41 Gift Aid

Wishing you both the best of luck Donation by Edward Fenn-Smith 04/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Best of luck chaps! Astonishing effort Donation by Charlie Weatherill 04/06/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid
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* Total raised online: £14,151.00
  Offline donations: £8,600.00
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £2,411.82

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