2:07pm Thursday 9th September 2010
A TEAM of six graduates from Bentley Motors in Crewe have been kayaking the full length of the Grand Union Canal from Birmingham to London this week in aid of the Prince’s Trust.
Graduates at Bentley have a long history of raising money through endurance events and have previously run from Crewe to the Brooklands race track, hiked the Three Peaks and cycled to Le Mans.
This year, they have been pushing endurance to the extreme, kayaking 137 miles and tackling 166 locks to complete the journey in under a week.
The varied route has taken them through the Midlands and Home Counties and they are scheduled to finish at Little Venice in London on September 11.
The kayaking novices have been training hard and have made a massive commitment to improving their strength and fitness to complete the event.
Frequent gym sessions have been a necessity in building stamina and muscle in order to reach London.
Ian McMullen, from the DEVA Canoe Club, introduced the graduates to the basics of kayaking on the River Dee and, after several capsizes, they started to improve.
Chris Bloor, from the Crewe and Nantwich Canoe Club, continued the training regime in Astbury Lake, teaching the graduates how to recover from capsizing.
Chris said “The graduates have put everything into their training sessions, improving dramatically over a short space of time.
“Kayaking can be an overwhelming experience, especially capsizing, but they all showed extreme commitment and confidence in all aspects of the sport.”
The graduates’ nominated charity, The Prince’s Trust gives practical and financial support, developing useful skills as well as confidence and motivation.
To support the Bentley team visit www.justgiving.com/bentleykayaktrek
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