Amazing journey begins with a record breaker
20 May 2014
A team of four adventurers have just kayaked non-stop from Land’s End to the Pembrokeshire coast. The Beeline Britain team completed the longest open sea kayak crossing in the UK, paddling for over 34 hours without sleep to cover the 200km+ journey. They are the first people to ever cross from Land’s End to Pembrokeshire in sea kayaks.
The Beeline Britain team are attempting to be the first people to journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats in a straight-line. Their record breaking charity attempt has started with a record breaker with their first leg. The challenge involves another 18+ legs of travel including sea kayaking, road cycling, mountain biking and hiking over Ben MacDui in the Caringorms, the UK’s second highest peak.
Team Beeline Britain are Tori James, who aged 25 became the youngest British woman and the first Welsh woman to climb to the summit of Mount Everest; Paralympian and Blesma Member Nick Beighton, a former Captain in the Royal Engineers from Shrewsbury who lost both his legs above the knee when he was struck by an IED explosion on duty in Afghanistan in 2009; RAF helicopter crewman, lifelong adventurer and creator of the 'beeline' concept Ian O’Grady; and Adam Harmer, a senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University and professional outdoors instructor at the UK’s National Mountain Centre, Plas-y-Brenin.
For double amputee Nick, this is going to be an even greater challenge. Using a range of specially designed equipment including an adapted sea kayak, custom-built hand-cycle and specialist Vibram walking stubbies with crutches, he will be using his upper body strength throughout.
The aim of the challenge is to raise £20,000 for Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, which is the national charity for all limbless service men and women, their widows and dependants.
The challenge involves 18+ days across some of the most extreme coastal, mountain and urban environments in the UK.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Pictures available:
Contact Richard Strudwick on 07941668174 or email info@beelinebritain.com
The Endeavour Fund: The Endeavour Fund was created by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry to support sporting and adventurous challenges conducted by wounded, injured or sick service personnel and veterans. The fund aims to promote these activities as part of a recovery pathway and to amplify the actions of these individuals in order to inspire others to challenge their perceptions of what is truly possible.
www.endeavourfund.co.uk Twitter: @endeavourfund www.royalfoundation.com
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans: Blesma is the national charity for all limbless service men and women, their widows and dependants. It was formed in the years following the First World War and became a national charity in 1932. Today the charity directly supports over 4000 Members. The aim of the charity is to provide support and empowerment to our injured service men and women helping them live fulfilling and empowered lives. We believe in life after injury. Find out more at www.blesma.org or visit us on www.facebook.com/BLESMA & www.twitter.com/BLESMA
Liverpool John Moores University: Founded in 1825, LJMU is a modern civic university delivering impactful research and scholarship that form the foundation for its interaction with industry, business and the community. Ranked in the top 100 new universities in the world, the University has around 24,000 students, recruited from over 100 countries, who are enrolled on a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate taught and research degrees as well as continuing professional development programmes. LJMU is one of the UK’s leading research active contemporary universities, with world-leading and internationally recognised research taking place across the institution. It also continues to be one of the UK’s leading higher education institutions for its interaction with business and the community. This interaction informs both teaching and research at the University and impacts positively on graduate employability, with 92% of graduates being in work or further study within six months of leaving the University.
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