Richard. M. Harpham (Joint Expedition Leader)

Richard is one half of the leadership of the Big 5 Kayak Challenge. Its is amazing how an idea can develop, from a nagging desire to paddle the Thames from source to sea combined with the infamous DW (Devizes to Westminster) Race to a fully blown serious expedition. Like most great endeavours, the thing is much bigger than one individual and with a great team in place the Big 5 is no exception. That classic phase “Why Not?!!” has been the standard response to Richard’s invitation to join the mad cap dream.

Richard is also the driving force and founder behind majorsporty,com, a sports and leisure community and can often be found outdoors. He will be either hanging halfway up a rock face, walking in the hills and mountains, on a bike or canoeing in the middle of winter. Well he does claim to be Scottish! In fact if you stop him for five minutes he will be able to relate (at some length) a story about most sports and his attempts at them. Richard is something of a Rugby gypsy and has played Rugby around the world in places as wide and varied as Bedford, Sweden, New Zealand and various places in the USA. An unfortunate dislocation of his knee last year has finally forced him to hang up(not chuck out!!) his boots.

He has taken part in numerous charitable sporting events including London to Paris cycle rally twice, Bedford 100 mile canoe marathon 3 times and competes with The Star Rafters on the rafting circuit (no we are not doing the 100 mile, 3 day Wye Valley raft race again!!). More recently Richard has organised various charity events including canoeing the 90 miles of the Caledonian Canal and canoeing 100 miles from Bedford to Kings Lynn. All of which raised considerable funds for charities including WaterAid, NSPCC and The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust. Not playing rugby has enabled him to focus back on kayaking and canoeing and he has finally got his first instructor qualification (25 years is not such a long time!). He is also loving the sport of canoe polo and can’t understand why it is not an Olympic Sport.

He does claim to have done some studying in his time but primarily selected his colleges on location to allow kayak surfing and commercial diving (not at the same time!!). He is chuffed to bits that this pub talk type idea of the Big 5 is now reality and importantly will raise some money and awareness for some great causes.

Nickname: Buffy (named after the dog or Buffy St Marie)

Likes: G&T, Pimms, lemonade, ice and a slice, 5 a day!, classic cars, the motion of the ocean, shopping at the Bedford market, Double day training, Libby’s Coffee and tucker

Dislikes: Politics and Anchovies, Pres. Bush, Former President Blair! Trash TV, lying politicians (remember who voted you in come the revolution)

Most likely to be on his Ipod: John Legend, Johhny Cash, Alabhama 3, U2, Noah and the Whale, The The

Catchphrases: Your skin is 100% waterproof, Argue your own limitations and sure enough they are yours

Favourite sports to watch: Allsports, Rugby, Canoe Polo

Most embarrassing moment ever; Running the kicking tee on the opposition in an East Midlands match

Dream career: Bed warmer for supermodels!! 

Big 5 Track record: The Isle of Wight, The Length of the Thames, The Channel, Lands End to the Isles of Scilly (Training including Skomer Island, The Farne Islands)

Geoff Tilford(Former GB Sprint & Marathon Kayak Racing)

Geoff started canoeing through the 1^st Caterham Scouts in 1967 using canvas covered canoes which he helped to recover with his father; and recalls “I was hooked the very first time I paddled” he continued paddling at the Surrey Scout centre at Send on the Wey navigation.Geoff joined The Royal Canoe Club a year later through the local vicar, a former international sprint canoeist. After school he would wait for the Rev. Basil Pratt to appear following evening song at the local church, Basil would hastily remove his dog collar and robe and we would roar off to training at “The Royal” in his vintage Alvis roadster or on his Vincent HRD motor cycle!

41 years on he still enjoys racing in masters events and coaching, both Sprint and Marathon and occasionally finds time for more leisurely recreational and touring paddling with his partner Viv.

Geoff has organised the annual Bedford Marathon Hasler event for the last 11 years for Viking Kayak Club.  He also organised the National Marathon Championships in 2002 and Hasler Finals in 2005 both held in Bedford.

Nickname:

Likes: Airships (used to build them) 

Dislikes: Fools,

Most likely to be on his Ipod:

Catchphrases:

Favourite sports to watch:       

Most embarrassing moment ever;

Dream career:

Big 5 Track record: The Isle of Wight, The Length of the Thames, The Channel, Lands End to the Isles of Scilly (Training including Skomer Island, The Farne Islands)

Steve 'Scuba' Carter

Stephen- or Steve as he prefers to be called - is really just a paddling passenger in the Big 5 Kayak Challenge. At 19 he is also the baby of the group, which he doesn’t mind, as he loves to be coddled. After stumbling into Richard’s life a couple of months ago Steve has found himself waking up in the ungodly hours of the morning. No student should be subjected so see what 6:30am looks like no matter how much the sun is shinning or how necessary the training is!! Its really is amazing what you can get yourself into when you struggle to say ‘”no” to a big, strong rugby lad. Steve’s response when asked if he wanted to join this expedition was a simple “why not?!!”. He was unable to think of a better way to spend his time, when he was not of course studying rigorously for University.

Steve is currently in his 2^nd year at the University of Bedfordshire, studying Sport and Physical Education. After living in Scotland for 10 years (give or take a couple of months), Steve came down to University with a remarkably English accent and soon gave up any claims that he is Scottish, shame. The Scott’s are better after all.

Steve has a love for sport, the outdoors and socializing with his peers. His favorite sport has got to be Canoe polo, which has plays at a passable level for Luton. Steve dabbles in many sports including: swimming, football, basketball, badminton and American football (basically any individual or team sport). He loves to snowboard, river kayak and climb, especially in Scotland with his peers. However, Steve is not as active as he should be as he spends far too much time sleeping in and on things (moving or non-moving). Steve would be nothing if he did not have Coach and Richard (or Buff), to wake him up in the early hours of the day and force him on the river to paddle.

Steve has a tendency to sleep around (no, not like that), on peoples sofa’s and is ferried around by his subjects- which he appreciates greatly by the way. He is new to the charity circle but is loving it and hopes that any money raised will help many people and he feels that any discomfort suffered during and of the trips is definitely worth it, if it helps others in the long run.

Nickname: Scuba (not totally sure how I got that nickname, but hey it stuck)

Likes: Scotland, clubs, partying, alcohol (when consumed with moderation), the Big 5 team, sports, his friends, the outdoors, a clear night sky, double day training, hot chocolate and live music

Dislikes: Mushrooms, bad cooking, a bad DJ and feeling poorly

Most likely to be on his I-pod: Anything and everything except heavy metal. Music usually comes from my brother as he has good taste.

Catchphrases: Give me a break…I’m just a kid. If I’m going to die, might as well do it with style.

Big 5 Track record: The Isle of Wight…

Aaron Buckingham

Aaron is the youngest in the team at only 14 years and has been paddling for just over 4years. He is out on the water most nights and enjoys all the different types of paddling. At the age of 11 he was promoted to division 1/prem in the C2 slalom with his brother, Deano and in the following year they went on to paddle for England. He gained his BCU 4 star at the age of 11 and looked as if he was born in a boat.   In the last year he has been promoted to division 1 in k1 slalom, played for Viking kayak club’s adult canoe polo team, and spent the whole of his summer holiday teaching other children and adults to paddle.   In December this year he was presented with Bedford’s sports’ rising star award. 

So Aaron has mastered slalom, polo, and white water play boating. Now the challenge of the big 5 in marathon boats and sea kayaks too has to be his next ambition. Unlike his brother Aaron was up for this challenge right from day 1 the only question was would his parents let him do it.

Nickname: Kayak kid

Likes: Kayaking, girls, eating, sleeping, rugby and more Kayaking

Dislikes: School (wrong subjects no kayaking) mash potato

Most likely to be on his Ipod: AC/DC, Queen, Pink floyd. Status Quo

Catchphrases: Life is too short, lets Kayak. There are just 3 things important in life Kayaking, kayaking and more kayaking.

Favourite sports to watch: Kayaking, rugby

Most embarrassing moment ever:  At the age of 5 at the xmas school play, playing father Christmas dived into the chimney and got stuck literally.

Dream career: Own and run an outdoor centre

Big 5 Track record: The Isle of Wight, The Length of the Thames, Lands End to the Isles of Scilly (Training including The Farne Islands)  

Rob Bates

Rob didn’t paddle for twenty five years after first learning with the scouts. Although he’s an outdoors fan and particularly likes cycling and skiing, somehow kayaking passed him by for many a year.In 2005, fancying a different holiday, he booked a sea kayak trip in Turkey and it changed his life. On his return he ‘saw the light’ driving over Bromham Bridge and decided to use the rivers on his doorstep. Pretty soon he was hooked and was doing lots of paddling in lots of different boats (sea, surf, slalom, marathon, playboating in no particular order).Only a year after joining, he was elected Chairman of Viking Kayak Club in Bedford, a club with a long and proud heritage of slalom and marathon racing. Since then the club has expanded and developed and offers loads opportunities for still and white water, recreation and competition, slalom, polo, racing etc etc. check it out at www.vikingkayak.co.uk.

Though he spends too much time administering the club and lobbying for better paddling resources in and around Bedford, he still manages to paddle lots of different boats, and now has six of his own, which every now and then actually see water! He’s also qualified along the way as Level 3 kayak coach.

Rob’s done odd things for charity before like a 24 hour pool marathon (with balls and cues) and a 730 mile solo unsupported cycle trip all the way down France from Le Havre to Marseille.

Nickname: Chairman Rob

Likes: Water & snow. Paddling, particularly sea kayaking at the moment, skiing, cycling, roller blading even. Seeing success for the club, moving the world in the right direction even if by only a small amount at a time, being my own boss, fairness, blue skies, warm weather

Dislikes: Getting up early, aging muscles. Writing long funding applications, not getting paid, keeping the peace, people telling me I’ve got it easy!

Most likely to be on his Ipod: Pretty much anything and everything, but recently Eels, Fratellis, Vic Chesnutt, Aimee Mann

Catchphrases: Your skin is 100% waterproof, Argue your own limitations and sure enough they are yours

Favourite sports to watch: Ski Sunday, Grands Prix, Arsenal’s brand of football (but less so recently!)

Most embarrassing moment ever; Cycling in to work when I had a company car and not realising it had been stolen until I was asked to pick up a VIP at the station.

Dream career: Owner of a ski resort. Or anything I can get excited about and pays well (open to offers!)

Big 5 Track record:  The Isle of Wight, The Channel, (Training including Skomer Island)

Dave Gordon

Began selling T-shirts whilst a P.E student at Loughborough University in 1988 to finance ‘world tour'.  It only half worked but he went anyway.  Running away from debt 20 years ahead of the pack.  A Visionary.  In 1993, after a lot of backpacking, (and painful debt repayment) he set up a T-shirt company, as a means to pay for his pole vaulting career (he was too rubbish to earn money from it).  10 years on and after finally getting better at pole vaulting David was now too old to be any good.  Over the hill.   So he changed tack and joined a team of Gurkhas (as a DIY film maker – total blag, but worked out ok) in a successful manhaul expedition across Greenland, one of the great untouched wildernesses left on earth.  2004. Sold business, got poor, started new business, all going well.  Selling bamboo clothing.  (That is, clothing made from bamboo, for the avoidance of doubt)

Now canoeing.  Erm, Kayaking.  Proving there’s no end to the things he can be mediocre in.  Lives in Richmond with Lesley (female). 

Nickname:  T-shirt

Likes: nice people, the way you feel after a hard bit of circuit training and slagging off football (ex Arsenal fan).  

Dislikes: nasty people, rap, consequences. 

Most likely to be on his Ipod: nothing, hasn’t worked out how it works yet

Most embarrassing moment ever: too many contenders, need a whole evening.

Big 5 Track record: The Isle of Wight, The Length of the Thames, The Channel, Lands End to the Isles of Scilly

Ollie joined the team for the last two challenges, namely the crossing to the Isles of Scilly and the middle section of the Inside Passage, unfortunately due to prior work commitments couldn’t make the other ones.As a professional sea kayaker Ollie has taken on the role of technical advisor and team trainer. He runs Active4seasons – a guiding and coaching business based up on the fantastic NE English coast. Part of the business is taking people on expedition further a field so he is well placed to help out on wild camping and logistical organisation also. He has personally paddled in Chile, Canada, North America, Germany, Norway, France and through out Britain.

Ollie believes the coast between St. Abbs head (S Scotland) and Amble (Northumberland) is a great place to have a business because of its great variety – deserted sandy beaches give way to rugged broken cliffs and further north the 100 foot vertical Devonian sandstone cliffs with caves, stacks and an arch. We have more islands off the coastline here (Farne Islands, Holy Island & Bass rock) than the rest of the East coast of Britain put together and in the summer they are the home to up to 100,000 breeding birds and in the winter are the breeding ground for one of the largest grey seal colonies in Britain.  

Having met Richard a few years back know it was great to hear of the challenges and Ollie was drawn to the idea of helping kids with Muscular Dystrophy – a horrible debilitating decease. Hopefully our efforts will help a few children realise their dream – thanks for all your help in anticipation.

Nickname: Bob

Likes: Sea kayaking, red wine, off piste skiing, old Italian rally cars and fit women.

Dislikes: Most politicians, drunken people who can’t control them selves, punk music.

Most likely to be on the MP3 player (what is an Ipod?): Eva Cassidy, Laura Branegan and other female vocalists, blues and classical.

Catchphrase: If it feels good (and doesn’t upset anyone) DO IT!!!!

Favourite sports to watch: Downhill skiing and mountain biking – if I am honest I would rather be doing it though!

Most embarrassing moment ever: Can’t say I have had one?

Dream career: Being a full time sea kayak coach – nearly there.

Big 5 Track record: Lands End to Isles of Scilly, training the guys in rescue techniques, Prince Rupert to Petersburg on the Inside Passage.

 

Profiles to be added:

Aisling Ni Chuinn (Joint Expedition Leader) - former Irish International Kayaker

Big 5 Track record: The Isle of Wight, The Length of the Thames, The Channel, Lands End to the Isles of Scilly, The Inside Passage, 1000 miles from Vancouver to Alaska

David McCarthy

Big 5 Track record: The Isle of Wight, The Length of the Thames, The Channel,