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18
MAY PADDLER SPOTLIGHT
JOHN WILLIS TAKES ON A 108 MILE PADDLE CHALLENGE
For our May Paddler Spotlight , we were delighted to catch up with John Willis , the founder of Power2Inspire , as he prepares for his 108 mile paddle challenge on the River Thames this summer . www . britishcanoeing . org . uk
Power2Inspire was established after a triathlon relay in September 2013 . John Willis , who was born without fully formed arms and legs , teamed up with his nondisabled friends to participate in a triathlon relay at Eton Dorney rowing lake . John took on the swimming leg , and together with his friends , they surpassed their goal of not finishing last , securing the 18th position out of 27 teams . More importantly , they discovered the joy of participating in a mixed ability team . Inspired by an advert featuring non-disabled players joining a wheelchair user in a basketball game , John established the core mission of Power2Inspire - ‘ Inclusion through sport ’.
Determined to ensure that his own childhood experience of exclusion from sports would not be repeated , John created PowerHouseGames . These inclusive sports days bring together students from state , independent , and SEN ( Special Educational Needs ) schools , along with sports stars and university students , to form mixed teams that engage in a variety of inclusive and adapted sports . Over the years , PowerHouseGames has grown from strength to strength , and what started with a single event in 2018 has expanded to more than 20 events planned for this year .
To celebrate its 10 year anniversary , Power2Inspire has launched its largest fundraiser to date , the 108 Challenge . From July 23rd to July 30th , John will embark on a 108 mile paddle along the River Thames , starting from Cricklade and ending at Eton Dorney . We ’ re proud to offer our support for John ’ s brilliant challenge .
The route has been broken down into 21 smaller sections , giving fellow paddlers the opportunity to join John in the kayak for each two-hour section .
Taking on this challenge does not come without difficulties for John . He shared that one of the main obstacles for him when kayaking is holding the paddle . Therefore , this required some clever thinking and adaptation - a ring attached to the paddle for his right arm where he is able to use his elbow . John has graduated from a prosthetic arm attachment connected to the paddle to a metal ring at right-angles to the paddle . This latter version means he does not need to wear any prosthesis , and as he rotates the ring it creates the necessary resistance for him to pull without any risk of it sliding off .
Thanks to John and Power2Inspire for sharing their brilliant challenge , we wish them all the best with their paddle this summer .
We ’ d love to hear all about your paddling journey , experiences and the great work happening in the paddling community .
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