The distance to paddleboard Land’s End to John O’Groats? …800 miles

Time taken? … 35 days paddling within an 81 day expedition (there was a lot of bad weather on route!)

Number of world records set? Keep reading to find out..

In 2018 I set out to face my fear of the sea by stand up paddleboardeding (SUP) the length of Britain. Along the way I was greeted by creatures from the deep as I paddled over the Irish Sea, and I even spent a terrifying 20 minutes fighting against the pull of the deadly Corryvreckan whirlpool in Scotland.

By doing so I became the first woman to SUP across the Irish Sea and the first person to SUP the length of Britain on an inflatable board (SUP LEJOG).

And, added to my walk and cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats the year before, this expedition makes me the first woman in history to complete a length of Britain Triathlon.

Press coverage:

 

It’s 8:30pm on Friday 20 April 2018 and I’m sat having dinner with Liam, my SUP Britain photographer. We’re in the onsite restaurant of our St Ives campsite feeling slightly out of place. Dressed as you’d expect for an adventure we look a tad disheveled, in what is a much nicer restaurant than we expected. Plus, we’ve brought all our tech in to see if we can sneakily charge everything ready for the morning.

Tomorrow is the first day of good weather for weeks. It is THE day. The start of another adventure. And the nerves are building. While Liam scoffs down a huge steak, I can barely stomach my carbonara, which he ends up finishing. I’m far more nervous than normal. Not least because I’m scared of the sea. 

SUP Britain for me is my biggest challenge yet. I’m not a water baby. I’ve never surfed and have virtually no experience in the sea. Having only stand up paddleboarded on the sea 3 times before this day, the idea of being out there for months with so many unknowns, paddling from Lands End to John O’Groats in an

But the potential “what if” was too big not to continue. I had to go now. I had to make a start and make sure that it would all come together along the way, to make it past the start line and 800 miles up the coast to the finish.

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I set off on my SUP on 21st April from Lands End. Over the proceeding weeks my confidence on the water grew and we made progress up the coast, enjoying incredible scenery and paddling in some amazing weather. On 31 May I become the first women in history to SUP across the Irish Sea, sharing my story on BBC Breakfast, and continued on to John O’Groats, becoming the first person to SUP the length of Britain on an inflatable board. Plus, added to my previous walk and cycle, I'm now the first woman in history to complete a length of Britain triathlon.

It feels incredible to think what I’ve achieved, when there were so many moments at which I could have ducked out.  And no one would have blamed me. It looked impossible. It looked like it wasn’t going to work. But I’ve learnt that there’s always a way forward, and I certainly don’t need to be ready in order to start. If I really believe in something, anything is possible.

I couldn't be more proud of taking on such a scary adventure and coming out smiling.

 

Against stiff competition, I was awarded the British Canoeing John MacGregor Outstanding Challenge Award 2018 in recognition of my dedication, commitment and impact on the sport through SUP Britain.

 

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