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PADDLEBOARDING FOR GOOD
Race for Rivers
Lizzie Carr . Credit Planet Patrol
Photo : James Kirby
Jo Moseley
Hello . My name is Jo Moseley , and I am the author of Stand Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain – Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in England , Scotland and Wales and Stand Up Paddleboarding in the Lake District – Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in Cumbria ( published May 2024 ). I also host The Joy of SUP – The Paddleboarding Sunshine Podcast and a proud ambassador for Seaful Charity .
In this column , I look forward to sharing inspiring stories of environmental projects , mental wellbeing initiatives , and how we can make SUP accessible to more people . If you have a story , please email me at thejoyofsuppodcast @ gmail . com or message me on Instagram @ jomoseley .
It was great to catch up with Cal Major at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival in November , where she spoke about her ocean adventures , the wildlife and people she met on her travels , and how our future depends on our ability to connect to nature . www . calmajor . com
I also chatted with Rebecca Dawson and Emily Williams of Everybody Outdoors to discuss the plus-size kit for paddlers . Please learn more about how Emily paddled , portaged , and sailed her canoe across the Hebrides . www . everybodyoutdoors . co . uk
If you were on social media in the autumn of 2023 , I am sure you would have seen the news about the incredible Race For Rivers , the world ’ s first paddleboarding relay to monitor England ’ s waterways . Covering 642km , the initiative was created by Lizzie Carr MBE , founder of Planet Patrol . Starting in Godalming on the River Wey in Surrey , it was the equivalent of 15 back-to-back marathons , with participants joining from far and wide to paddle from 2km to 20km .
Armed with sampling kits to test water quality every 5km , over 100 paddlers gathered more than 420 readings across 28 days , which were recorded on the Planet Patrol app . Among the citizen scientists were SUPjunkie ’ s Sarah Thornely , SUPfm podcast host Simon Hutchinson , and author and presenter Louise Minchin , who featured Lizzie in her bestselling book ‘ Fearless – Adventures with Extraordinary Women ’.
The results were a sobering reminder of the health of our rivers : a ) Evidence of sewage pollution was found in nearly every waterway tested b ) Almost half of the testing sites failed to meet nitrate standards and c ) Three-quarters of sites failed to meet phosphate standards .
Dr Thomas Stanton from Loughborough University said , “ The Race for Rivers has highlighted the potential of community engagement in advancing our understanding of Britain ’ s blue and green spaces .”
Lizzie Carr , who was awarded Paddle UK ( formerly British Canoeing ) Inspiration of the Year award for 2023 , told me , “ The people have spoken through their actions : now it is time for the government to respond with a more robust plan that includes frequent testing and transparent reporting to align with the severity of the situation .”
To learn more and how you can make a difference , follow Lizzie on Instagram @ lizzie _ outside and Planet Patrol @ onplanetpatrol . You can also listen to Lizzie ’ s interview about Race for Rivers on @ supfmpodcast .