Abbotsholme pupils competed recently in the 125 mile Devizes to Westminster Canoe race held over Easter weekend, with one team smashing their goal of competing it in under 24 hours in total.
During the weekend the three teams competed in what is known as the Everest of the Canoe world paddling 125 miles and going through 77 locks carrying their canoes in many cases!
Abbotsholme pupils do it different to others in that they complete it in canoes rather than kayaks which every other team uses. Such boats are longer, thinner, lighter and they have twice as many blades to push the water. It has become a tradition that Abbotsholme pupils compete in Canoes, taking on the literal name of the race!
School records have fallen in each of the last nine years and this year was no different. Firstly, the team had three returning paddlers, and no one has ever returned to do the race again.
Ed Pashley age 17 from Matlock, Derbyshire, and Barney Wilson age 16 from Rugeley, Staffordshire, had raced last year beating the school record. For any DW crew, 24 hours is a mythical time, and initially they were aiming to be the first Abbotsholme crew to beat this time. They did this and then some, completing it in and creating a new record of 22 hours, 37 minutes and 2 seconds which will be hard to beat…… unless they decide to complete the race for a record breaking 3rd time next year!
Congratulations must also go to Sharlotte Amos, Henry Sanderson, Rachel Ekstein and Henry Chiles all pupils in Year 11 who completed the race for the first time, and also to Annabelle Lane and Jacob Bushell whose race bid was cut short due to injury.
All the pupils’ efforts raised £4,160 for Walking with the Wounded following a talk from amputee and North and South Pole Explorer Guy Disney back in January.