I have to admit, my decision to set a Guinness World Record for kayaking the Thames was a bit of an accident! One day, I was casually browsing through existing records and noticed that while there were records for men kayaking the Thames, there wasn’t one for women in a double kayak. With my friend Kerry saying “let’s do it”, I thought, “Hey, this could be an easy win!” Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. Even without an existing record, Guinness still gave us a pretty tough target—we had to complete the 200 kilometres in under 24 hours.
Training: The real challenge
Our training was intense, to say the least – we trained six days a week, with one rest day to recover. Sundays were our “long days,” where we’d paddle pretty much all day. The focus wasn’t just on strength but endurance—both in our muscles and in our stomachs! A big part of the challenge was making sure we could consume enough calories while paddling. Trust me, when you’re exhausted, eating becomes the last thing you want to do, but it’s so important to keep going.
Honestly, though, the hardest part wasn’t the training itself but all the logistical stuff. Organising support crews, deciding on the best equipment, and paddling safely in the dark brought their own set of challenges. And the winter conditions were brutal—wind, high water levels, high flow and even fallen trees in the river made training a real test of patience!
The big day
When the day finally came, things actually went smoother than we expected—thanks to all that intense training. And we did it! We completed the 200 kilometres in 21 hours and 33 minutes, well under our 24-hour target. There were plenty of laughs along the way, though. One of our support crew couldn’t reach us at a lock, so he waded through the river in his underwear to get us our supplies! And then there were the more surreal moments—Kerry started hallucinating and seeing things in the water that weren’t there. But overall, the day was a lot more manageable because of all the prep.
Supporting Women in Sport
One of the reasons we took on this challenge was to support Women in Sport. A lot of the focus in paddling is on women doing it recreationally, but we wanted to show that women can take on competitive challenges too. There’s always room for more of us in these spaces, and I hope our little adventure helps inspire others to give it a go.
A tribute to Batty
I couldn’t talk about this journey without mentioning our coach, Batty (David Battershell). Batty was the one who encouraged me to start kayaking competitively in my 30s, something I never thought I’d do. Without him, I never would’ve even considered attempting a world record. He passed away before our challenge, but he was with us in spirit every step of the way. He had a huge impact on me, and this journey would not have happened without his encouragement.
Take the leap
If I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that you don’t have to be the fastest or the best—you just have to be willing to try. So many women hold themselves back because we think we’re not good enough, but honestly, just giving something a go is half the battle. I hope that by sharing our story, more women will feel empowered to take on their own challenges, no matter how big or small.
