Follow us at http://www.dwrace.org.uk/ click the follow the race link.  Our boat number is 402.  We push off at 7am Saturday 23rd 2011.

Thanks for all your support!Mark and Pete and taking part in the worlds longest non-stop kayak race, the legendary Devizes to Westminster.  Our support crew, Tom and Steve, without whom the attempt is not possible, will be force feeding us along the way and providing the inevitable change of dry clothing and ‘motivation’ along the route. Phrases such as 'Get back in the boat', 'We haven't followed you for 20 hours for you to give up now' and 'Stop crying' will abound. We’re raising funds for the Karen Woo Foundation in the process.

About the Devizes to Westminster Race

 

The race is 125 miles long and has 77 portages. 'Ah, you get out of the boat 77 times, so that is 77 mini breaks' I hear you cry.  Not quite, if you knew what it involved you'd see it as 125miles with 77 mini nightmares thrown in for good measure.

 

The first 52 miles are along the Kennet and Avon Canal, the next 55 miles are on the River Thames and the final section is on the tidal portion of the Thames.

 

The race is a severe test of skill and stamina which produces a memorable sense of achievement for those successfully completing it. The non-stop version of the race, the event we are taking part in, is the longest non-stop canoe race in the world.

 

The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe race starts in Devizes, Wiltshire. The crews and their support teams will have been up much earlier than the official 7am start attending the safety briefings and the marshall's equipment checks.  They will then paddle non-stop for almost 30 hours with the race finishing  just downstream of Westminster Bridge in London, opposite the Houses of Parliament the following day. The race has been held annually over the Easter Weekend since 1948.

 

More about the race can be found here; www.dwrace.org.uk

 

About the Karen Woo Foundation

The charity we're raising funds for is the Karen Woo Foundation. 

The Karen Woo Foundation is a grant-giving Charity, focussing on supporting projects in Afghanistan which provide healthcare to communities which have little or no access to even basic medical provision.

Much of the health infrastructure in Afghanistan has been destroyed and many people in remote villages have little or no access to health care. Afghanistan has some of the highest maternal and child mortality rates in the world with one woman dying in childbirth every 28 minutes and 1 in 5 children dying before the age of 5. It was Karen’'s mission to bring medical care to those who need it most in Afghanistan, while also promoting the basic rights ofAfghan women.

Inspired by the passion and courage of Dr Karen Woo, who was tragically killed whilst delivering aid to a remote region of northern Afghanistan, the Foundation aims to continue her legacy with your support and compassion.

More about the Karen Woo Foundation can be found here; www.karenwoofoundation.org