TOUGH GIRL podcast
So most of you know that I quite enjoy stand up paddle boarding. Tough Girl Challenges podcaster Sarah Williams interviewed me about how I got into SUP and my summer adventure. The actual channel is full of inspirational women from all walks of life. Although my adventure turned out to be an amazing celebration rather than a slog – I really hope it inspires some friends to try new adventures.https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/toughgirlchallenges/Shilpa_Rasaiah.mp3
Emma love chats to British Canoeing #ShePaddles ambassador Shilpa for the Oct 2022 issue SUPM magazine
The Paddlers’s Code
#ShePaddles Ambassador
- What made you want to apply to be a #ShePaddles Ambassador?
I had been kayaking for a few years, but recently started SUP and absolutely loved it and wanted to take it further to develop within my boating club (canoe and kayak only) and elsewhere but wasn’t sure how, and a friend suggested I apply as a #ShePaddles Ambassador to see if this might help open up some avenues.
- What would you say to other women looking to apply this year?
Be passionate about what you want to do with this amazing opportunity – it should not be a wasted opportunity.
- What are you most proud of during your time as a #ShePaddles Ambassador?
- My own long distance SUP paddle from London to Trent Lock along the length of the Grand Union Canal, of 164 miles will leave a lasting memory in my life – it was such a celebration of friendship and the kindness of the water community and really brought out the joy of SUP and encouraged a lot of people to take up taster sessions and raise funds for the Pirates Castle.
- My boating club had insisted it was NOT a SUP club but through my ambassador role, we now has a SUP club and we have new members from within the club, especially the wives of boaters joining.
- My own confidence and enjoyment of water has grown even more, I seem to be out most days and am starting to develop my skills with a view to become a volunteer coach in time.
- What’s one of your favourite moments being an ambassador?
Not necessarily a moment as I have so many moments, but one of the biggest highlights has been the connections I have made with SUP communities on social media and through these some amazing friends who are my new community with whom I have built a bond and feel they are there to help me if I need assistance.
- Do you have any upcoming projects you want to share? How can others keep an eye out for them? e.g on your social media, website’s etc.
I have started developing mini SUP adventure trips which include camping and taking my kit on my board, the first was on the Great River Ouse, the next is on the River Cam. And I hope to continue developing these and exploring the country through the waterways – so if anyone has an idea or an area they would like to share with me then please get in touch – my Instagram is @SUP.loving.shilpa
Shilpa Rasaiah – feeling blessed to have been given this opportunity to be a #ShePaddles Ambassador for 2021 – 22 – thank you so much British Canoeing! 5th August 2022
#SUPtheGrandUnion – Day 14 by Shilpa
#SUPtheGrandUnion – Day 14 – solo sup on familiar waters. It was really nice to go alone for a change. Today I paddled from Birstall to Barrow.
My boat club were concerned about my safety as my route went past a gathering for a big traveller horse fair -special forces were brought in – aka shanemorgan to act as body guard along that route (by riding on the Clara Grace and not on a SUP board!). All was fine.
This route has some v steep climbs in and out of locks and lots of weirs – but I had reckied this section on my own in the winter so was fine to go alone.
I saw my fav colour boat – one day maybe I might have a share in one like that – it’s exquisite- would love to wake up and travel like that – having had a little taste of it on the Clara Grace.
It was a lovely surprise to be greeted by Sue and Shane under the A6 underpass. They had come to escort me via the Mountsorrel section.
My hubby was also trying to meet me at locks but I kept missing him!
So nice to have a refreshing cuppa on the Clara Grace at the end of the day with Hilary and Richard and our visitors Sue and Shane and hubby.
@british.canoeing
@gopaddling
@gillmarine
#supthegrandunion Day 13 Part 1 – going through the heart of Leicester
Cracking hot day and early start with help from the wonderful Jon J travelling along on his bike and @daniel.j.lloyd paddling with me.
The route is such a contrast of urban architecture- brick buildings graffiti, Leicester City Football Club, swans – lots of them! Space Centre, Waterside Regeneration Area – I worked on this, meeting wonderful friends and then a meet up with my mum – more on this on part 2.
Some interesting portages – I made the wrong call at one point to take a complicated portage and got totally stuck in the weeds as the water levels were really low. Jon stood by laughing at us and Dan did an Irish jig – or sorts to keep on his board
. Good lesson learnt- should’ve just gone round the lock as I’m now used to fairly high drops!
The bridges were amazing. The Mile Straight was full of swans. De Montfort Uni has invested so much along the water side and some stunning modern buildings- worth a visit.
Didn’t see much of our support boat today – it was a tough day for them as again we had a lot of locks.
It was fantastic to see my lovely neighbours Tina and Simon – they came at just the right time to help at a really long portage
.
@british.canoeing
@quroc_isup
#SUPtheGrandUnion – Day13 Part 2 a mini welcome ceremony By Shilpa
I think it’s suffice to say that my 89 year old mum totally blessed us all today.
She hadn’t seen me on a paddle board but today we arranged for her to meet us on route. My wonderful hubby fetched ba and her neighbours to come and see us paddle through Leicester- her home town.
My lovely neighbours Tina and Simon also walked part of the route and joined in the impromptu celebrations that took place over lunch.
Ba surprised us with penda (Indian sweet treats) and fed everyone! It was such fun and so impromptu. She and her lovely neighbours brought us all a picnic.
Jon was totally speechless- kept referring to my ba as my ‘sister’ – she is incredibly fit and healthy for her age thanks to her yoga and daily walking.
@british.canoeing
@quroc_isup
#SUPtheGrandUnion day 12 Foxton to South Leicestershire by Shilpa
Today I got to paddle with my hubby.
Set off from Foxton Locks with the ‘boy gang’ (aka Richard and crew) not amused at the unearthly early starts I was imposing.
As the temperatures were soaring I was panicked about trying to get as much distance covered as early as possible before it became too hot for me! So my pace was faster in the early hours as this worked for me.
Lunch was usually made up of whatever was in the fridge – here it’s broccoli beans and some pulse and sliced strawberries for me – hubby had sandwiches.
The pollen count was crazy high and hubby really suffered from hay fever today.
The route was gorgeous again- stunning rural countryside and v little boat traffic.
Most days I managed to pick up stray plastic bottles which were so out of place
Really grateful for the various folks (@shanemorgan6242 @davemorris12 and Jon J) who gave us lifts in Leicestershire as I was now sleeping in my own bed for the last few days.
Day 11 # SuptheGrandUnion by Shilpa
Day 11 was a v special day as I got to paddle with @sabrinarasaiah – my daughter and we paddled to a v important milestone – Foxton Locks in Leicestershire.
It’s really special when your daughter makes such an effort to come and paddle with you and bring encouragement and joy – that’s what Sabrina did for me today.
We were blessed with exceptionally good weather meant clearly start to avoid heat.
Honestly we were treated to the most stunning rolling English countryside, there’s few places that can beat a day like this – especially when it’s finished off with delicious ice cream
We were escorted through the Husbands Bosworth tunnel on our fabulous support boat the Clara Grace.
I’ve always been fascinated by the name Husbands Bosworth and today I got to paddle through it. This is a part of Leicestershire that I’ve never previously visited.
There was a real buzz at Foxton Locks – if you haven’t been here you should reach make the trip. The boards and I got a lift on Clara Grace whilst @sabrinarasaiah helped Richard with the locks. Honestly – it’s been awesome to have the support boat along this journey- it’s saved my back and added a totally fabulous dimension to this adventure.
At Foxton we went down the steep slope of lock flight – this felt v different to the Watford Flight where we went up. Both amazing as a first timer in narrow boat whilst our boards were transported up/ down.
Foxton you did not disappoint.
@british.canoeing
@quroc_isup
@gillmarine
#SUPtheGrandUnion day 10 By Shilpa
lovely relaxing route with no locks!
Big shout out for the lovely John Edgar of North Kilworth Wharf for letting us portage at this private boat hire wharf, he let our support boat moor at a prime spot and was super helpful. He has a number of fab narrow boats for hire.
I paddled with Carys and we had extremely hot weather again so v early start, though a head wind was a constant companion.
The previous day we’d had an exciting time climbing the Watford Flight of locks with Hilary at the tiller.
I found myself wearing the same kit daily as it was v comfortable – Sweaty Betty pants and Gill Marine temperature control eco top – I did wash them at night!
Day 9 of #SUPtheGrandUnion adventure –
Watford stair flight, Buckby flight and Crick Tunnel
A very fascinating day admiring the marvels of the canal infrastructure and we were never too far from the M1 motorway and Watford Gap Sevices!
My paddling companion today was the lovely @carysbusinesspod come all the way from Anglesey to have a bit of peace and tranquility on the beautiful Grand Union Canal.
Given how close we were to the M1 the scenery by the canal was so lovely. Something about the greenery by the water – everything just feels calmer.
I was mesmerised by the climb up on the Watford Flight of locks – I stayed on the boat with Hilary at the tiller – the lock gap is incredibly narrow here – so only narrow boats can go through this route north on the Grand Union – with wide beam boats have to go via Birmingham!
I was expecting a major junction at the point where we had to turn right for Leicester and straight for Birmingham- we’ll it was such a quaint little junction with willow trees and quaint cottage that I nearly missed this significant milestone! Thankfully there were clear signs
We also had the Buckby Lock flight which we paddled and portaged including going into footpath tunnels with our boards!
But it was definitely the right call to jump in our support boat the Clara Grace for the Watford flight.
This was the first day we encountered any real rain – but after the heat of the recent days it was v welcome.
Shilpa’s Welcome home Party
Friday June 24th.
This Friday. Shilpa has made excellent progress and will probably have to delay her arrival for us to assemble and welcome her home. Let’s all make it worth it. Please sign up on Band. Nice to see all club boats out.
Evening party to welcome Shilpa home after her epic SUP challenge, London to SBC.
6pm Flotilla meet at Bishop Meadow Lock, Loughborough.
7-7.30pm Shilpa escorted by flotilla arrives at SBC
7.30pm picnic and bar open. Camping available.
Hopefully, we can get as many and varied craft as possible to meet Shilpa and escort her back to SBC. For those unable to get on the water please join us at the club.
Please bring your family and a picnic
Shane Morgan
Stoke Bruerne and the Clara Grace – day 8.
Reaching Stoke Bruene was a big milestone – it meant we’ve got through the long climb of the Chilterns and it’s many locks and the start of what on the map promised to be an gorgeous rural setting with lots of tunnels and stair flight locks. So I’ve called this the mid section, it was like stepping into another world totally.
I was greet by Hilary who was waiting to help me through the SB locks – i did encounter an agro swan here but was fairly calm as I knew he was trying to protect his family. But head on boy do they look threatening. Thankfully little Miss Resourceful managed to distract the angry swan with her swan ammunition that she now carries all the time.
Stoke Bruene is a beautiful little canalside settlement with pubs, restaurants, I’ve cream parlours, museum trip boats and gorgeous built form around the canal.
it felt a bit like a party as we sat and had drinks with my handover party and my new companions – Hillary and Richard Whitby and their dog Paddy who’ve brought their boat the Clara Grace to escort me home and offer me a few nights accommodation.
This boat support is absolutely unbelievable aim so many levels.
We ate out at the pub that evening and were met by my niece Sinal Shah and my grand nephew Zayn and my cousin Hemansu who all live nearby and the next day by my lovely cousin Jayshree.
The Paddling during the next few days was amazing- we were blessed with fantastic weather. The canal meanders the whole time with beautiful bridges and trees and the bird song is so loud – it felt like I was transported to another world – I really was beaming the whole time – hence I really didn’t feel the strain of paddling the distance. On the Blissworth day I was joined by team member @daniel.j.lloyd.
We had extremely high temperatures so did set off early.
We did pass the M1 signs for Northampton and Milton Keynes – again making me feel like I was getting closer to home.
The other major milestone was going through Blissworth Tunnel – it’s v long cold and wet!
Day 6-7 #SUPtheGrandUnion By Shilpa
Days 6-7 what a fabulous paddle between Leighton Buzzard – Milton Keynes to Stoke Bruene with Little Miss Resourceful – Deborah.
🏘The scenery was such a feast for the senses – loved chatting about townscape and how different Milton Keynes is with Deborah.
👀admired the huge concrete bridges next to the traditional brick canal bridges.
😎Due to the heat we’ve started getting out at 6.15am. Not needing to pump up our boards has been bliss. So has the super adapted trolley.
✝️ We stopped off at the Boaters Christian Fellowship Mission in South Milton Keynes for a chat, coffee and prayer. They were expecting us and gave us such a warm welcome and fed us the most delicious caramel slices with coffee.
📧 I’d found out about the BCF from the Waterways Chaplaincy and messaged them on line and via email.
💻 I am so amazed at how social media has helped me to connect with so many different amazing people on this journey.
🚢 we passed a lovely lunch stop watching narrow boats queuing to get through locks and used my Waterways key to use the canalside facilities🙈
🌉Paddled over the Great Ouse Iron aquaduct which carried the canal over the river – thrilling as it’s open sided on one end and quite a big drop.
🙏😘This section was so beautiful and I had the loveliest time with Deborah and her family who’ve hosted me for the last three nights and took such wonderful care of me – I am deeply grateful 😘💙🙏
Day 3 of #SUPtheGrandUnion – milestones and special people
Milestone moment of paddling underneath the v busy M25 – so we are now officially out of the outer London area and approaching the Chilterns.
Special moment to literally step out of @julietkfp back garden onto the canal on our boards – it was so wonderful to finally meet Juliet – definitely a true women warrior = Water Angel.
Special moment when Mikk met us on the canal to especially help me with the portages along the slow climb up the Chilterns. I didn’t know Mikk before this adventure planning – he too opened his home to us, offering accommodation, support with transport and general positive encouragement = Water Angel.
Serendipity moment when theses beautiful women of colour (school friend of over 40 years ago) connected via social media when Devayani heard about my SUP adventure and arranged a tentative plan to meet us along the canal – and they did and walked along the tow path very joyfully and knew all the coffee stops along the route = water Angel.
Managed to meet @a1suphire Moni on the water with a bunch of men on SUP boards she offered assistance by looking after my board overnight so I didn’t have to deflate and pump up = Water Angel.
Had to say goodbye to little Miss Sunshine – @supcoach_belle after three wonderful days of paddling together- what an incredible gifted individual she is and seriously has a great knack of connecting with people of all ages and her photography and social media skills are fantastic too = Water Angel. 
@british.canoeing
@gopaddling
@quroc_isup
Day 2 – #supthegrandunion By Shilpa
Willowtree Marina to Rickmansworth still head wind for 2/3 of the way but scenery was stunning and sun shine. Loved the boat names!
Announcing our Summer 2022 Adventure Plans
We are delighted to share our summer stand up paddle boarding adventure plans.
The Adventure: Shilpa, nearly 59, from Leicestershire will stand up paddleboard (SUP) just under 170 miles along the Grand Union Canal from London to Normanton on Soar (Shilpa’s home boating club) in Nottinghamshire departing 10th June 2022.
The Team: Shilpa harnessed the power of social media to find and unite amazing female paddlers who will in turn support her along different sections of the route. The team includes Belle Yates, Niki Truebridge, Deborah Vogwell and Carys Owen. SUP adventurer and podcaster Jo Mosely will join Shilpa on the final two days of the adventure.
The team will be supported by members of the Soar Boating Club, Shilpa’s home boat club and a number of other individuals largely from the SUP community who have kindly offered to assist. Shilpa has been overwhelmed by the community’s readiness to help in so many generous ways. Supporters will assist with pre-trip adventure training, accommodation, donation of kit, towpath support, transport, enroute refreshment and general encouragement – Shilpa would like to say a huge THANK YOU for all this support!
Key messages: The team will be sharing key messages around adventure in later life, teamwork and community, cherishing and caring for the canals and friends simply having fun!
The key messages are:
- Ageing adventurously: You are never too old to have an adventure and in fact it can be very beneficial to creating a sense of purpose, a zest for life and improving mental wellbeing.
- Teamwork and community: The paddling and canal community is incredibly supportive, inclusive and welcoming, demonstrated by the generosity shown in planning this magical adventure.
- Caring for the canals: Volunteers up and down the country do amazing work caring for the canals and their communities. They are unsung heroes!
- A group of middle-aged women simply having fun: A bunch of strangers working positively together to create and complete a fun and joyful adventure.
Causes: Shilpa and her team will be fundraising for two very special cause:
Fundraiser causes : Save the Pirate Castle community boating charity
Shilpa says:
“I came to enjoy water-based activities when I was much older, partly as I had never learnt to swim as a child or had the opportunity to experience any water sports growing up. Now, my happy place is on the water when I’m paddling. When I connected with the Pirate Castle as part of the planning for my SUP the Grand Union adventure, I was totally blown away by what they offer and how tirelessly they are working to help tackle disadvantage and support the most vulnerable members of the community. They do this by providing stimulating canal-based activities from the iconic and historic Pirate Castle in the heart of Camden Town on the Regents Canal in London. The Pirate Castle has been serving communities for nearly 54 years. Since the pandemic hit, the charity has struggled and is in danger of sinking. They are currently running a crowd funder appeal to try to keep them afloat. For this reason, the team think it would be amazing to try and help raise awareness of their struggle and support them as part of this adventure.”
http://www.thepiratecastle.org/about
Cause 2: Shilpa recently got to meet Florentina’s grandma and aunt and listened to them share just how brave Florentina has been whilst being treated for a very rare kind of cancer called Neuroblastoma. She was able to watch video clips of little Florentina on Instagram @FlorentinasFootsteps (#FlorentinaTheBrave). The treatment has included several rounds of chemotherapy, stem cells harvested, removal of the cancer tumour, chemotherapy and then weeks of radiotherapy. This will then be followed by stem cell implants to help her own body to fight any future invasion of the cancer cells.
Once all this is completed, Florentina will be eligible to be part of a clinical trial in New York to receive the Bivalent Vaccine. This clinical trial is unavailable in the UK and will cost approx. £250,000 to fund all of her medical bills, plus the costs of flights, ground transportation, accommodation, food plus a special insurance to allow her to travel.
Friends and family have raised over half the target figure, but more is still needed. Members of Shilpa’s boating club are like a family, the club is more than just about paddling, it is a strong community. Shilpa will be using the donations of raffle prizes from the Pirates Castle, Jo Moseley’s first book, @beryltouchard art work and various others to fund raise for @Florentinasfootsteps – to travel to the USA for valuable treatment to fight her cancer.
https://www.florentinasfootsteps.com/florentinasstory
About the Grand Union Canal: The Grand Union Canal is the longest merged canal in England, with a number of different arms.
The adventure will start along the beautiful stretch of the Regents Canal by the Pirate Castle and merge onto the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal near Little Venice. The team will be completing the adventure along the Leicester Line of the Grand Union, known as the Old Grand Union, arriving at the Soar Boating Club, Normanton On Soar where Shilpa fell in love with SUP – She will in effect be paddling home from London!
Shilpa’s journey will take the team from remote rural areas to dense urban areas. Starting at the beautiful Regents Canal passing by London Zoo and Little Venice, then traveling on the Grand Union across London, paddling north through the Chiltern Hills, the entire length of Milton Keynes, and continuing north, by-passing Northampton to the east, and entering Leicester from the south, travelling right through the heart of Leicester and departing at the north to continue through Loughborough and finishing the final leg in Normanton on Soar.
The route includes:
5 Aqueducts
2 Museums
Lots of famous Lock flights including Foxton Locks
5 Tunnels including 2 resident ghosts!
More about the Team
1) Shilpa is a married mother of two grown up daughters from Leicestershire. She is a British Canoeing #ShePaddles Ambassador for 2021 – 2022 and one of her goals in this role is to encourage women to try paddle sports. Shilpa learnt to swim at the age of 41 and took up SUP in 2020. In November 2021, Shilpa was invited to share her love of SUP at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival where she was interviewed by world record holder, Cal Major and Paddle sports Coach Chris Brain. Preparing for this adventure has certainly given her a new zest for life and a purpose for getting stronger and healthier. Shilpa will be sharing regular updates about the Adventure on the Soar SUP page: https://sbcpaddlers.wordpress.com/ and #SUPtheGrandUnion
Shilpa said about the adventure: “I am both super excited and crazily nervous about the adventure. I’ve always been fascinated by the Grand Union Canal with its many lock flights and tunnels and that it’s local, so I don’t have to travel far to have a challenging adventure. I love meeting new people and hearing their stories and this will be a unique opportunity to do that and fundraising for two very special causes. I am so excited at the idea of paddling day after day with some amazing fun-loving women in the summer.”
2) Belle is a 44-year-old mum from Berkshire who nervously started paddleboarding 4 years ago. Without any previous experience in watersports, she reluctantly agreed to try SUP yoga on a sunny summer evening. For Belle it was love at first try as her confidence in and around water increased and she quickly became a paddleboarding enthusiast. Over the last two years, Belle has worked to become a British Canoeing Sheltered Water SUP Coach, at the same time as sharing her knowledge of the sport with beginners and others wanting to improve their paddling abilities. She enjoys paddling on and near the River Thames all year round and teaches for her local SUP school.
Belle said “I am thrilled to support Shilpa on the first part of her adventure. The SUP community is truly amazing at bringing people together. It will be rewarding to help raise money for our chosen charities and I am sure we will have a lot of fun along the way”
3) Niki moved from New Zealand to the UK in 1988 and has never lost her love of water sports and sense of adventure that she gained as a child growing up in NZ. She is a swimming instructor, a British Canoeing SUP coach and has completed more than 350 hours paddling on sheltered UK waters in and around the Thames valley. She loves to share her passion for both of these water sports and gains huge pleasure from seeing others achieve and progress in them.
Niki has massive respect for the great outdoors and says “I am very much looking forward to joining Shilpa for some of her journey, raising money for the charity and helping to litter pick along the way”
4) Deborah is a 54-year-old mother of 2 grown up daughters. She is an Architect married to husband Paul. She first stepped on a paddle board in 2010 but lives in Buckinghamshire about as far from the sea as it is possible to get so just hired boards on holiday. Last summer she discovered it was possible to SUP on her local canal which opened up huge opportunities for trips and mini-adventures.
Deborah said: “I am very excited to be joining Shilpa on her big adventure. Shilpa’s idea has pushed me to take on a new challenge and I think it will be brilliant fun. I had not really appreciated our amazing canal network before, but they are fantastic linear parks that connect many of our towns and cities and offer an amazing way to get a different view of the world.”
5) Carys is a single mum of a 9-year-old daughter. She was the Canoe Wales Coach of the Year in 2018 and has been on the water in her canoe or on the SUP for over 10 years. She runs 2 businesses and strives to combine her passion for the water with her business coaching and can often be seen in Wales hosting ‘board’ meetings. Her paddle passion is supporting very young children and families into paddling so that they can harness the lifelong benefits from being out on the water. Her happy place is flat water touring and she is euphoric to be able to join Shilpa and share the adventure of long days on the water.
Carys said: “New waters, fresh encounters, extraordinary commitments, and a heart full of appreciation. These are my expectations of this adventure. I am honored to be part of Shilpa’s amazing journey and know that she will inspire others to create their own adventures.”
6) Jo is a 57-year-old single Mum of two grown up sons from Skipton. She has been paddleboarding since 2016 and in 2019 became the first woman to SUP 162 miles coast to coast from Liverpool to Goole along the Leeds Liverpool Canal. A film about her adventure, called Brave Enough – A Journey Home to Joy, has been screened at various film festivals. She has a popular podcast called The Joy of SUP – the Paddleboarding Sunshine Podcast. Herfirst book Stand-Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain about beautiful places to paddleboard in England, Scotland and Wales is being published in June 2022.
Jo said “I am looking forward to supporting Shilpa as she completes her SUP the Grand Union Canal adventure. Paddleboarding the Leeds Liverpool Canal in 2019, I fell in love with the magic of the canals and the community around them. It will be lovely to meet new people and make a difference by picking up litter. I’m sure this will be a life changing and uplifting adventure for everyone.”
Social media and recording the adventure: The team will be sharing their adventure, including the planning, preparation, inspiration and lessons on social media on their personal accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Follow the team at:
- Shilpa Rasaiah:
Instagram @sup.loving.shilpa
Website: https://sbcpaddlers.wordpress.com/
Event Hashtag: #SUPtheGrandUnion
- Belle Yates:
Instagram: @supcoach_belle
- Niki Truebridge
Instagram: @supcoach_niki
- Carys Owen.
Instagram @carybusinesspod
- Jo Moseley:
Twitter and Instagram: @healthyhappy50
Website: www.jomoseley.com
Introducing the wonderful community boating charity
#thepiratecastlecamden whom we are fund raising for as part of #supthegrandunion.
#thepiratecastlecamden whom we are fund raising for as part of #supthegrandunion. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/enabling-people-to-experience-water-activities
The pirate castle is based in an iconic building on the Regents Canal and was inspired in the 1960’s by kids wanting to have fun on the water.
If you would like to support this very special cause Click here
Our team believe that water based activities can help to transform lives. This is preciseley what the Pirates Club has been doing for a long time. However the impact of the Covid pandemic has taken it’s toll and charity literally needs to raise funds to stay afloat.
The Pirate Castle have very generously donated some awesome raffle prizes towards another fund raiser which will be held in August
SUP the Grand Union Canal- Summer Adventure 2022
What does ‘Adventure’ mean to me?
Cartoon by @chaymaadraws
What a great question posed by my amazing friend and fellow British Canoeing #ShePaddles ambassador Lina Patel. She had some fabulous responses and it also got me thinking of my forthcoming adventure and this was my response.
As you know I’ve got an adventure coming up to #SUPTheGrandUnion from London to Normanton on Soar, which to many would be a walk in the park, but for me coming from the limited past experience, age and cultural background, it’s definitely a moment of feel the fear and question myself as to can I even do this? All sorts of butterflies are fluttering, there’s massive fear in my head about my ability to sustain this distance given that my starting point is a maximum of 6 miles in a day.
And yet I have an amazing feeling of excitement about doing an adventure that is right on my door step. I know mentally it will be a life changing experience. Emotionally, it has already brought me close to tears by the kindness shown by total strangers from the SUP community who have offered up their time in helping me to improve my stamina to paddle, offered practical support in terms of overnight accommodation and some have said they will either walk or paddle with me during the actual adventure.
I particularly liked the response to Lina’s question by Paul Moore who wrote:
“For me adventure means discovery of the unknown! Feelings of excited ness, nervousness, that stomach pit butterfly feeling, the hairs standing in end your brain running at 100 miles an hour! Like when Lucy stepped out of the wardrobe into the snow for the first time in Narnia. That bit in your brain that our ancestors would have activated when they first struck sparks from rock! Adventure for me can’t really be formulated into words it’s more feelings!”
I totally agree that adventure is more about feelings and I love Paul’s analogy of Lucy stepping out of the cupboard into Narnia – inside I feel like a little girl stepping out of my comfort zone for the first time and about to discover a beautiful new world on my door step and I’m totally bowled over already by the generosity of complete strangers offering me practical support and I’m looking forward to meeting some amazing people along the journey. I’m not immune to the fact that there could be some mishaps along the way and it will be a test to see how I cope with this. My biggest fear is not being able to complete the whole route due to physical health problems or other unforeseen issues.
Shilpa
Winter SUP Kit from a newbie- what do I use?
❄️ I’m preparing for an adventure to SUP along the #supthegrandunion in the summer. So winter paddles (when the weather conditions allow) are important to building my stamina and distance.
I didn’t go out and buy everything that I ‘might’ need, instead I’m doing this v gradually using what I already have and then adding items appropriate for my needs. So here’s the kit I currently use:
⛄️my inner items are lots of thermal layers underneath a fleece – all of which I already had for walking.
💦 the outer layers need to keep rain, wind and dunking water out.
🌊 I’ve decided against a full dry suit for the sort of paddling I’m doing.
💦My top is a gorgeous turquoise light weight but highly effective Gill cag which has proved great at keeping the water out when I took a dunk in the canal last week! Gifted by British Canoeing to the #Shepaddles ambassadors 💚.
💧So far my Trespass walking over trousers have been great, worn over thermal leggings and regular trainers! Most of the time these are fine but not if you take a dunk. I was totally wet in the lower half when I fell in climbing out on a bank 🥲 thankfully Andrew Oughton who was there with me was too kind to take a photo of me.
💦 I have recently got a gorgeous pair of Palm Equipment Atom dry trousers with built in socks BUT I’m having difficulty finding shoes to fit over these😕 so these haven’t yet made it out for a paddle. I’ve already tried two size bigger boots and not yet found something that works for me….so the search is on.
🎒I have a dry bag full of spare clothes, the item proving most useful during my dunk was my lovely long sarong which is super lite, absorbent and wraps around as a changing tent.👏
🧢 hats – I have a collection of these.
Shilpa
What a great question posed by my amazing friend and fellow British Canoeing #ShePaddles ambassador Lina Patel. She had some fabulous responses and it also got me thinking of my forthcoming adventure and this was my response.
As you know I’ve got an adventure coming up to #SUPTheGrandUnion from London to Normanton on Soar, which to many would be a walk in the park, but for me coming from the limited past experience, age and cultural background, it’s definitely a moment of feel the fear and question myself as to can I even do this? All sorts of butterflies are fluttering, there’s massive fear in my head about my ability to sustain this distance given that my starting point is a maximum of 6 miles in a day.
And yet I have an amazing feeling of excitement about doing an adventure that is right on my door step. I know mentally it will be a life changing experience. Emotionally, it has already brought me close to tears by the kindness shown by total strangers from the SUP community who have offered up their time in helping me to improve my stamina to paddle, offered practical support in terms of overnight accommodation and some have said they will either walk or paddle with me during the actual adventure.
I particularly liked the response to Lina’s question by Paul Moore who wrote:
“For me adventure means discovery of the unknown! Feelings of excited ness, nervousness, that stomach pit butterfly feeling, the hairs standing in end your brain running at 100 miles an hour! Like when Lucy stepped out of the wardrobe into the snow for the first time in Narnia. That bit in your brain that our ancestors would have activated when they first struck sparks from rock! Adventure for me can’t really be formulated into words it’s more feelings!”
I totally agree that adventure is more about feelings and I love Paul’s analogy of Lucy stepping out of the cupboard into Narnia – inside I feel like a little girl stepping out of my comfort zone for the first time and about to discover a beautiful new world on my door step and I’m totally bowled over already by the generosity of complete strangers offering me practical support and I’m looking forward to meeting some amazing people along the journey. I’m not immune to the fact that there could be some mishaps along the way and it will be a test to see how I cope with this. My biggest fear is not being able to complete the whole route due to physical health problems or other unforeseen issues.
What does adventure mean to you?
Shilpa
An Evening With Jo Moseley
Whilst the weather is colder and not many are able to get out on the water, we are able to have land based SUP inspiration and are delighted to announce Jo Moseley will be attending The Soar Boating Club in person to share various stories of how SUP has helped to transform her life. Tickets are limited
Kendal Mountain Festival
Kendal Mountain Festival 2021!I can’t believe it, little me has been invited to speak at THE festival for those who love the outdoors @kendalmountainfestival this November in the Lake District. The paddle sports session at the festival will be presented by the awesome @cal_major and @chrisbraincoaching and I’ll be joined by @drjenpaddles and @publicrightsofwayexplorer Becoming a #ShePaddles Ambassador this September has changed my life in so many wonderful ways – new friends, new adventures and a zest for life! The most exciting opportunity (thanks to my awesome Soar Boating Club) has been to support and watch a bunch of determined women take their ‘first steps’ on the water and seeing the smiles on their faces, their confidence lifted and their journey with paddle sports begin. I’ve watched these ladies go on to do formal courses, invest in kit and be inspired themselves by listening to other women’s SUP journeys. #shepaddlesambassador#britishcanoeunion#kendalmountainfestival21#thejoyofsuppodcast#kendalmountainfestival
Shilpa
Brendon Prince
Cal Major
Jo Moseley
ShePaddles ambassadors- having a laugh on stage before the event
Well done Jo and Wendy
Fantastic 1st Paddle Ghee
Great work Angela, Sarah and Wendy
#shepaddles British Canoeing Ambassador
I joined the Soar Boating Club as a complete beginner some five years ago – nervous to get into a kayak! Key members of the club (Shane, Dave, Graeme, Dan Rob Gee) have supported and encouraged me to build my confidence and try different crafts. During the past five years or so they took me on some fabulous weekend adventures exploring various British rivers. Recently the club acquired SUP boards and wow – I just absolutely loved it . I loved the feeling of standing up tall on the water, being offered drinks by the barge boaters who were moored on the banks, the tranquility and beauty of the riverside. I loved the independence I got from SUP – the boards were light enough for me to carry. I wanted to take this new found love to a new level but didn’t know how. A very supportive paddling friend of mine – Carys encouraged me to become a #shepaddles ambassador – I was unsure as I don’t have any special skills or training! – but I do absolutely love being on the water, am keen to develop myself and have some exciting new adventures and I’d love to encourage other women to be empowered to experience the joys and delights of the waterways. So I am super humbled to have been selected by British Canoeing as one of their ambassadors – It’s a privilege to be working alongside such awesome experienced ambassadors- they will be a fantastic group of ladies to call on and share ideas with and seek advice from. I will share my journey of the ups and downs via Instagram and hopefully encourage others along the way. If you wish to follow Shilpa on instagram @sup.loving.shilpa
Shilpa
SBC Paddlers 