Amazon kayak journey

Helen Skelton, the Blue Peter presenter, is set to complete an epic journey to become the first woman to have kayaked 2,000 miles down the Amazon

She has paddled past crocodiles, 20-foot anacondas and shoals of piranhas while overcoming blisters, heatstroke and seasickness.

Barring a catastrophe the 26-year-old will finish the last 60 miles of her trip after almost six weeks of paddling for 10 hours a day, six days a week on a river often wider than the English Channel.
 
In doing so she will have broken two world records: the longest solo kayak journey record, and the longest kayak by a woman in 24 hours record (75 miles).

But while widespread adulation is expected on her return to Britain, uppermost in her mind is something much less glamorous – the thought of taking her dog, Barney, for a walk.

"It's been six weeks of sitting in a boat surrounded by nothing but water and rainforest," she said. "There have been stretches of six, seven, or eight days where I haven't even set one foot on dry land, and my bum has the blisters to show for it.

"And I've missed my dog terribly. So the first thing I'm going to do will be to pick him up and take him for a nice long walk."

Skelton started her journey on January 20 in Natua in Peru, where the rivers Marañón and Ucayali join to form the Amazon, and ends it 2,010 miles downriver in Almeirim in Brazil where the river becomes tidal.

On route she paddled past creatures including anacondas, a species of snake which squeezes its prey to death. She suffered from hideous blisters, sores and heatstroke – without any kayaking experience prior to her training.

She also had to overcome her many doubters. When she first told James Cracknell, the double Olympic gold medallist who nearly died during his attempt to row the Atlantic with Sunday Telegraph columnist Ben Fogle of her plan he told her: "You can't do this." Skelton's response was typically defiant. "You don't know me," she said.

"There were lots of people who told me I couldn't do it" she said. "Three of the four experts we consulted before we started said I wouldn't be able to do it. Everyone thought the idea of doing it was laughable.

Skelton is no stranger to pushing herself to her limits.

Last year, she demonstrated her incredible endurance when, in April, she became the second woman to complete the 78-mile ultra-marathon in Namibia, running the three consecutive marathons in 23 hours and 50 minutes.

Following that feat Blue Peter decided to stage a stunt to raise awareness for Sport Relief this year and Skelton decided she wanted even more of a challenge.

"I owe it to my friends and family to have a bit of rest when I get back home," she said. "But I know what I'm like and I've already started talking to the team here about what I can do next.

"So, yeah, there will be something else coming along soon – something snowy hopefully, although I'm open to suggestions. I have thought about Mount Everest, and also about crossing the Alps, so watch this space."

Skelton hopes her efforts will inspire families across the UK to rise to their own challenge for Sport Relief, enter the Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 21st March and help raise money that will change lives forever.

Go to www.sportrelief.com for details.

For the full article go to: Daily Telegraph