PADDLER
PADDLER
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If someone offers you boats or kit , look at it rather than taking their word for its suitability because the offered kit might be broken or unsuitable and finding that out at the last moment is slightly heart-stopping .
Guidance is easy to get on many conventional topics but not straightforward on more esoteric topics , such as the performance of buoyancy aids for swimmers wearing artificial limbs . Build in time to find assistance on those things .
THE EVENT
With nervous anticipation , we woke up when the challenge started . Some of us had slept in campervans in a car park in Sudbury so as to be ready for an early start , getting the boats out , shuttling cars to the midpoint campsite , readying buoyancy aids in multiple sizes and paddles and all the other kit needed . But it had been a sleepless night for me . Would all the volunteers turn up ? Would the Steel Bones participants ? What would the weather be like – too hot , too cold , too windy ? What would we do if an amputee fell in wearing a very expensive electronic prosthesis ( some of them cost thousands , and they don ’ t float at all )?
A particular concern was the portages . There are more than a dozen weirs on the route requiring portage , and we had discovered in our training sessions that getting in and out of boats was difficult
for amputees , not to mention that once out of the canoes , it could be tricky to cross the rough ground from the exit to the put in . Some portages were inaccessible by road , so our bank-based team could not help . As it turned out , we need not have worried about this . River Stour Trust volunteers kindly opened locks at Cornard , Stratford and Flatford , which took three difficult portages out ( thanks , Podge , but no singing next time , please ). The Steel Bones participants overcame the other portages on crutches , wheelchairs , artificial limbs or even their bottoms with incredible determination and good humour .
Day one went well in spite of my worries . As we gathered , with a sense of nervous anticipation , the tone for the day was set by one amputee ( I am sure he won ’ t mind me describing him as a ‘ larger gentleman ’) who announced loudly that all our buoyancy aids were far too big for him . We had a great day . All of the participants made it to our overnight stop at Rushbanks campsite , including completing a tricky section of the river from Bures , where the river is tight , requiring good steering skills . We had half expected some participants to call it a day , but while tired and stiff , everyone was upbeat and looking forward to day two .
DAY TWO
Having completed day one , I was much more confident about day two . It was a shorter paddle because part of the river is not currently paddleable owing to a dangerous bridge at Boxted . So we had to start with a short shuttle to Stratford St Mary , where we put in . Once again , River Stour Trust volunteers were kind enough to open the lock , saving us a very awkward putin , and we were off . It was a lovely day , and the paddle seemed to go by in a flash . Lunch was at Flatford ( some people took the time to break off and look at Willy Lott ’ s Cottage , immortalised by John Constable ). Then on to Cattawade , the sea and the finish .
I am delighted to say that all 23 participants ( and all their limbs !) completed the challenge . Ages ranged from eight to 63 , including paddlers with arm amputations and single or double leg amputations . This was a huge achievement for them . For some , being outside , surrounded by beautiful countryside and wildlife , was something they rarely got to do . Some of the doubleamputee participants were largely housebound . Another participant was a 14-year-old girl who was suffering from a severe illness and had a high upper leg