We did it! 125miles paddled in 23 hours and 17minutes. We finished outside the Houses of Parliament on Easter Sunday morning, after a hellish first day, and a strangely tranquil night of non-stop kayaking. Sore, chafed, muscles screaming and desperate for sleep, but very proud!
We were hampered by not one, but three rudder wire snaps. One of these happened in the middle of nowhere, meaning we had to run with the boat on our shoulders for maybe half an hour. George showed great fortitude, battling on despite neck and back pain, and some real lowpoints in the night, where he kept falling asleep at the paddle, (!) and somehow we managed to make the tide at Teddington.
A huge thankyou to everyone who came along to support us along the route. Your banners, cheers and wishes carried us through the darkest hours. And an even bigger thankyou to everyone who has donated to the cause. We have raised enough money now to buy around 500acres of primary rainforest in Colombia, and with the help of the World Land Trust ensure it will never be cut down. This is an enormous achievement, and YOU ALL should be very proud.
All my sincere thanks, Steve
This Easter, Steve Backshall and George Barnicoat are attempting to kayak 125miles non-stop from Devizes in Wiltshire to the Houses of Parliament at Westminster in the classic DW race.
Corporate donors can ‘buy’ the right to have their logos or colours on boat or clothing, and large donors could have a presentation for their staff or event. There will be considerable media attention around the event. Please contact talks@josarsby.com.
They are racing to raise funds to buy and protect a section of Colombian rainforest, saving it from logging, poaching or any other form of exploitation. Sponsorship money will go towards projects with the www.worldlandtrust.org; any money you give will be doing something practical to save the dazzling wildlife of the most diverse, and most threatened place on our planet.
They are aiming to finish inside 24 hours, and their progress can be GPS tracked at www.dwrace.org Well-wishers are very much welcome (particularly at three in the morning when spirits are flagging!), but must abide by the rules found on the DW race website. Also bear in mind that this is a brutal non-stop endurance race, so the pair will not be stopping for photos and autographs!
