I ’ ve got a few ideas brewing , but I ’ m not ready to share them yet – once you say them , you have to do them ! Kerry has a long list of goals ; some are more appealing to me than others . For now , I just want to enjoy some downtime , spend time with my partner , and get back to kayaking for fun .
PADDLER 101
You succeeded on your second try . How did that feel ? It felt amazing but also a bit anti-climactic ! The flow was much slower on our second attempt , so we knew we wouldn ’ t break the men ’ s record . However , we set a new women ’ s record , our main goal .
When we finished , we were utterly exhausted , wet , and useless . But , of course , we were thrilled to have achieved what we set out to do .
What were your aims going into the attempt ? Our primary goal was to finish in under 24 hours , which Guinness required for the record . Secretly , I wanted to beat the men ’ s record , and we weren ’ t far off ! That was a bit frustrating . Still , it was an incredible experience , showing me what my body is capable of .
How did you manage food , drink , and … toileting ? Ah , the glamorous side of kayaking ! We agreed that we wouldn ’ t pee in the boat , as it would make portaging really unpleasant for me . Kerry is almost sixfoot , whereas I ’ m 5 ’ 4 ”, so imagine what would happen if we flipped the boat and put it on our shoulders to carry – the fluids would ’ ve all ended up down the back of my neck . We handled it on the go , mostly during portages .
I had one very memorable moment when my good friend Simon was feeding me a Jaffa cake and looked at me very seriously to check I was okay . To this day , I haven ’ t told him what I was doing at that point !
As for food and drink , our support crew fed us at the locks . We had a mix of electrolytes , carb drinks , sandwiches , pizza bites , flapjacks , and some emergency snacks in our buoyancy aids . Kerry used a drinks bladder , and I had a bottle clipped to my buoyancy aid , which worked better for me .
Do you think there ’ s enthusiasm for kayaking among women ? Absolutely , and I ’ d love to see more of it ! For example , the Thames record we set wasn ’ t even talked about a few years ago . Then , last summer , Steve Backshall broke the men ’ s record , bringing much attention to the challenge . Now , there ’ s a Thames Challenge event , and more people are talking about it .
I think there ’ s definitely room for more women in competitive kayaking – we ’ re not as delicate as some might have us believe , and it ’ s great fun !
Any advice for future world record challengers ? Be prepared for a lot of admin ! Start planning early and give yourself enough time to get everything approved by Guinness . Once you apply , it can take up to three months to get their go-ahead , so factor that in .
Besides kayak , what else do you do in life ? Hiking and swimming were my first loves before I got into kayaking . I did a few endurance challenges for hiking , including a 100-kilometre walk from London to Brighton a few years ago .
In my spare time , I run an amazing organisation called Adventure Queens , which supports women in getting outdoors and going on adventures . It ’ s all about community and breaking down barriers to adventure .
Any final shoutouts ? I want to thank Kerry , who ’ s always up for any challenge , no matter how bonkers !
To my partner , Rob , who was endlessly supportive and helped me with everything from cooking dinners to designing strength training plans to checking river distance spreadsheets .
To my dad , thank you for travelling to meet us at the finish line and being a great cheerleader .
Finally , to Wey Kayak Club and our incredible support crew – they kept us going through some tough moments , and some provided excellent entertainment , too – I ’ ll never forget our friend Mac jumping into the river in his underpants to bring us food ! https :// adventurequeens . co . uk
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WHAT ’ S NEXT FOR YOU ? ANY PERSONAL KAYAKING GOALS ?
I ’ ve got a few ideas brewing , but I ’ m not ready to share them yet – once you say them , you have to do them ! Kerry has a long list of goals ; some are more appealing to me than others . For now , I just want to enjoy some downtime , spend time with my partner , and get back to kayaking for fun .
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PADDLER 101