ThePADDLER 24
had been efficient on the canal . However , I wanted a bit more of a comfort blanket for the night and swapped into my trusty Pyranha Scorch . The second thing I did was consume some caffeine , which certainly woke me up ! I ’ m pretty sure Aaron noticed on the next paddle up the canal as my speed of talking to him increased by about 10 times !
GLUE OF THIS GROUP At this point , I need to thank Aaron as he was the absolute glue of this group over the 24 hours . He made a real effort to look out for and care for each of us . I struggled with energy levels in the later laps and was struggling to keep up on the canal sections . Rather than paddle off and leave me , he ( and lovely support paddler Nathan ) dropped back and paddled in front of me . This aim was to provide me with a small wake to try and make it slightly easier for me . He also came up with a fun local fact to share with me each lap which was my second highlight of the lap after the boat ramp . Without sharing other people ’ s struggles , Aaron did a lot to support them too . He didn ’ t once complain and was a bundle of energetic happiness for the whole 24 hours . How lucky we were as a group to have him with us ! So , thank you for being you , Aaron !
RAFT GUIDES OF WHITEWATER ACTIVE I also need to thank everyone who came and joined us for a lap ( or laps !) Especially those experienced paddlers who came as extra support overnight . Having fresh faces turn up to offer encouragement and support was so very welcomed . A special thank you should be given to the raft guides of Whitewater Active , who all seemed to join us at one point or another !
Below : Sophie fundraising by Del Read
Jake Boswell by Allan Potts
Our final night lap came , and we were grateful when it began to get light . Jake had mentioned once or twice overnight that he would prefer it if the sun came up , and we were all much in agreement . We started our 12th lap in the dark , and dawn had officially broken as we finished the canal part . That golden hour sunrise lap on the Dee was hugely enjoyable . The end was nearly in sight !
LAST LAP As we started our 14th lap , it was clear that this would be our last lap . Many paddlers who had come to see us through to the end joined us on the river . It was quite something to feel the support of our community . Niamh ’ s little sister Sophie joined us for this lap in a duo with Aaron . We were absolutely exhausted , but it was a really special final lap .
Despite running Town Falls countless times , I get a tad nervous just above it . My biggest fear before the challenge had been that I would have a roll at 04:00 on Town Falls . I had joked with the others at the start about how many laps it would take before I wasn ’ t nervous . The answer had been lap nine ! On lap nine , I felt happy going down and was about to relax . On lap ten , however , at about 02:00 , I caught the bottom