Easter 2021, I kayaked 200 kilometres continuously down the #River #Thames to raise money and awareness for @Bravehound, a #charity dedicated to improving the mental health of military veterans. Some of you may remember I tried this last year! but back then and after 37 hours of smashing my kayak over locks it began to sink around Windsor. So, this year I got a better, lighter kayak and had another crack!

It was an incredibly hard paddle, aside from carrying my kayak over 47 locks I didn't stop for 31 hours - breaking the record for fastest single kayak down the Thames by 3 days - and nearly breaking myself.

Starting at Lechlade, the beginning of the navigable Thames, at 10am on Easter Saturday I sped off East to Oxford - my progress hampered on this leg by strong winds and no rudder (it fell off on the car journey) - reaching Godstow lock, and my replacement rudder around 7 hours later.

From Oxford, and now being able to steer with my replacement rudder and enjoying the wind on my back I zipped South passing the 100 kilometre mark in around 15 hours. This slower than planned time meant I wouldn't make my self-imposed 24 hour record, but I was there for the joy of the paddle ultimately and wasn't that phased.

The next 100 kilometres proved to be really really tough. At some point in the middle of the night I lost my paddle close to a roaring weir in Henley, it was very dark so trying to fish it out was a scary experienced but I eventually got it and continued on.

Close to dawn at Reading my backside began to ache, the race seat is made of unforgiving plastic and not intended for long distances really. This pain became incredible by first light and continued on until I passed friends on a boat near Windsor at around 3pm who threw me a pink fluffy pillow. Sitting into that pillow was bliss and allowed me to put some pace back into the paddle and I reached Teddington and the finish point at 5pm, 31 hours after beginning this journey.

It was such a fun kayak despite some serious muscle pain. It made me think about pain management - my pain was fleeting really, and just required me breathing and trying to focus on something else, but I can only imagine how tough chronic pain must be.

The whole journey took many months of training, lots of focus and even a diet plan, so I feel my charity efforts are becoming more serious. Maybe I should look at a more serious effort for my next one....what do you think? an ocean crossing?

As always I was helped by many people but I'd like to say special thanks to:

Camera guy Graeme - who zoomed all the way back to London to get me a new rudder, and seemed to be on every bridge with his camera.

Ivan Lawler at Ultimate Kayaks, for quickly finding me a rudder.

Mandy Clark - for tireless dedication in sourcing a rudder and food/drink re-sup's.

Mandy and Emily Brame (and family) for proving me a quick cup o' tea and pink fluffy cushion when I needed it the most.

And finally I hope I continue to raise money and awareness for Bravehound. They do an incredible job of placing dogs with veterans who have mental health issues. It's a fantastic initiative allowing these veterans to care for something else, get regular exercise and receive unconditional love; surely key tenants of sound mental health.