Video Caption, Article Information Author, Ashley Treacy Role, BBC News, Isle of Man
1 hour ago
A team of fundraisers from the Isle of Man have canoed hundreds of miles on Canadian rivers, raising more than £108,000 for a charity that supports people with learning disabilities.
The Expedition Limitless group traveled 444 miles (715 km) over 12 days, camping in the wilderness along the Yukon River.
Funds raised will be used to support Manx Mencap’s adult activity programme and summer programmes for younger members.
Team captain Kimmy Holland said the experience was more physically demanding than she expected, saying, “No matter how well prepared you are for eight or nine hours in a canoe, you can’t be more physically prepared.”
Image credit: Expedition Limitless
Image caption: The team rowed for up to nine hours a day for 12 days.
The group followed the river from Whitehorse to Dawson City as the second in a series of resilience-based charity challenges designed by team leader Phil Quirke.
Travelling in a two-person canoe, the team ranged in age from 28 to 66 and carried all of their own equipment and food.
Holland said that on bright, sunny days the time can fly by, but on less-than-good days “it feels like digging in mud with every paddle” and that he had to stop paddling at one point because of the risk of capsizing.
The 37-year-old described the surrounding terrain as “so vast and wild” and how he had the chance to see moose, eagles and beavers, making it a “surreal” but “incredible” experience.
She said she and her team “learned a lot about how to succeed” in tough situations.
There will also be a race at the end of August featuring people wearing inflatable T-Rex costumes.
Ms Holland said the support from the charity, who welcomed them back with a banner made by returning service users, had meant a lot to the team.
“You can see how grateful Manx Mencap is for the fundraising efforts – it’s literally a life-changing event for the families who benefit.”
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