Dave & Andy's story

You won’t want to miss this…history has been made in aid of Dove House Hospice!
Dave and Andy took on the huge challenge of the 100km Vohandu Ultra Marathon in Estonia and upon successful completion, are the first all British crew to ever do so. Both men have previous experience in canoeing but that doesn’t mean this challenge came with any sort of ease. The pair trained for over a year prior, adapting their prior experience to tackle the unpredictable waters and below-freezing conditions, making this no easy fete.

Andy explained to us that, ‘‘One day, Dave said ‘Shall we do this challenge?’ so we bought a boat and committed’’. He detailed that the pair were “really out of their comfort zone, even as confident and experienced canoeists, making it a massive achievement’’.

Together, they managed to complete their challenge in under 10 hours, putting them in the elite category of finishers with a total of 24 hours available for completion. The pair came in 80^th place, storming through the race of 2700 participants in a total of 1300 kayaks. Despite the conditions on the day being temperatures of -5 degrees Celsius and with a bitter chill in the air, Dave and Andy “would strongly recommend this event to others. It’s a real test but there is a brilliant and welcoming atmosphere among all involved” (Courtesy of paddleuk.org).
As part of their challenge, Dave and Andy fundraised for Dove House Hospice. As a charity that is local to the pair, the hospice “has touched the lives of our own family and friends, supporting Dove House is deeply personal to us” (Courtesy of Andy & Dave’s fundraising page). Their supporters helped raise over £3000 to be donated and this will have great impact in the care provided at Dove House.