porlhews

In 2005 I wanted to take scouts kayaking.

I then joined another scout group for four weeks to learn to paddle on flat water.

Upon returning to uni I joined the canoe club and spent twelve months leaning how to paddle on moving water.

During this time I represented the university in canoe polo, wild water racing and slalom. In the slalom competition I competed against olympic hopefuls – they beat me by a whisker!

12 months later I was on a three week trip round the Alps on some on some of the best rivers Europe has to offer. We visited France, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.

A year after that I returned to the alps for two weeks, this time for a tour of Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland.

I then moved to the Lake district and every so often I have kayaking parties – Christmas and my birthday were a blast!

I spent a further week in Switzerland kayaking in the glorious alps. Flying kayaks on Ryanair is a great laugh – get lots of bubblewrap!

In the summer of 2007 I was asked to organise the kayaking, canoing and raft building for a scout Jamboree in 2008 (www.jamboree.me.uk). We had 220 scouts join us for a week. As part of this I trained a team of ten coaches in canoing and kayaking. They all got a British Canoe Union Level 1 coach award.

Today I bought an open canoe and am very excited!

In a few weeks I’ve got my level 3 coach assessment; if I pass I’ll be qualified to coach on moving water.

I was given one as a christmas present.

I learned by pushing a wheelie bin down the street.

I destroyed a pair of trousers by falling off it.

I broke my hand when I cycled into a lamp post. I then sat thru an hour long lecture and then unicycled to hospital.

In June 2008 I unicycled 111 miles across England to raise £2800 for the Parkinsons Disease Society

January 2008 – quite chilly!