This Easter, while you're all inside warm with Family (I hope!) my K2 partner, Linda, and I will be paddling 125 miles without pause down the Kennet and Avon Canal, onto the Thames and into the heart of London finishing at Westminster Bridge. The annual Devizes to Westminster International Canoe race is a severe test of skill, physical and mental stamina and planning which will likely leave me hating kayaking with a depth of passion usually reserved for terrible drivers or slow walkers. 

The event is a straight through race, we will be paddling through the night to try to make it to the Tidal section of the Thames in time for the tide to carry us the last 18 miles. We won't be alone, in addition to many other crews making the attempt we will also be doggedly followed in cars by a support crew to feed, water, and clothe us but most importantly smile a lot, make derogatory comments about my capabilities (I'm still a Rugby boy at heart) and generally egg us on.

This isnt just for the challenge. I'm doing this in aide of Surrey Search and Rescue, a group of volunteers who at a moments notice ditch their loved ones and day jobs, put on appropriate clothing and devote their time to help find vulnerable people in need. They specialise in woodland and water rescue and sadly in 2016, when I first started paddling, they were needed to recover the bodies of two Guildfordians from our local river, the Wey, both found within 100 meters of our Kayak club. 

The team members at SURSAR are extremely professional and are relied upon for their skills by both Police and Fire Service. They benefit from corporate support for their vehicles and some specialist equipment, but a fleet of 4 (at my last count) specialised wheeled vehicles and 3 watercraft is expensive to maintain, so whilst it would be flashy and fun to raise the cash for something new like remote control drones (they use them - they're really cool) instead  I'd like to raise much needed operational funds to keep their volunteers moving, and saving lives of vulnerable people in Surrey