Ollie & Theo take on an epic Kayak Challenge for Children on the Edge

Two school students Ollie and Theo are taking part in an epic Kayak race this Easter to raise funds for Children on the Edge and Alzheimer's Research UK. They have raised over £600 for both charities so far and hope to raise much more.

​You can sponsor Olly and Theo on their Virgin Money Giving page. 

The race they are taking part in is the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race and takes place from the 14th - 17th April.

Ollie says: "The race is more of a marathon to be honest! We are taking part in the junior doubles class, we will be kayaking 125 miles over the space of around 3 and a half days".

This 200 km race will take place over 3 nights and 4 days. They will be kayaking down the Kennet and Avon Canal before joining the Thames. The boys will be kayaking for roughly 7 hours non-stop each day (although they hope to complete each day in less than 7 hours). They will cover around 35 miles each day, with the last day being 20 miles. They will start on Friday 14th April in Devizes and plan to finish underneath Westminster bridge on Easter Monday, 17th April.

Each night the boys we will be camping beside the river, having to set up their own camp and cook for themselves, ready to set off early the next morning.

Along the race, there are 77 'portages' which require competitors to get out of their kayaks or canoes and run with it on their shoulders. On one section, they will have to do this for over a mile!

Theo and Ollie both go to Eton College and they wanted to raise money for Children on the Edge and Alzheimer's Research UK. They thought that the race would be a great way to fundraise, as well as also challenge themselves and test their limits.

Ollie said: "We chose Children on the Edge because we believe that they actually make a clear difference and you know where your money is going. We both think it's a great cause. Theo's mum, Anna, has recently been out in Uganda with Children on the Edge, seeing how their projects operate, so we know exactly where our money goes and we've heard about how much it helps vulnerable children. Numerous members of my family have been afflicted with Alzheimer's in the past, so I thought that ARUK would also be a good charity to raise money for along with Children on the Edge".

All of us at Children on the Edge would like to say a huge thank you to Ollie and Theo for taking on such a big challenge to help fundraise for our work with vulnerable children around the world.

We wish them the best of luck for the race and will be cheering them on from Chichester! 

SPONSOR OLLIE & THEO

TAKE ON YOUR OWN CHALLENGE!