The Team

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, ...

Geoff started canoeing through the 1st Caterham Scouts in 1967 using canvas covered canoes which he helped to Geoff Tilford, old man of the riverrecover 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 ...

Aisling Ni Chuinn : Expedition Member Nickname: Ahee Occupation : Legal Eagle Age : 36 years old. Likes : Water, Travelling, Wigan AFC,. Dislikes : Working weekends, dry rivers, headwinds Sports : Kayaking, Snowboarding, Sailing Big 5 KC Track Record. Isle of Wight  2) River Thames 3) ...

Ollie joined the team for the last two challenges, namely the crossing to the Isles of Ollie using his antigravitational machineScilly 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 ...

David Mccarthy : Expedition Member Nickname: Macca Occupation : Teacher Age : 44 years old. Likes : Middlesbrough Football Club, kids that work hard. Dislikes : People who do not make the most of their opportunities and mushy peas. Sports : Loads. I love winter mountaineering and skiing. Big ...

Began selling T-shirts whilst a P.E student at Loughborough University in 1988 to finance ‘world tour'.  It only half Dave Big Gworked 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 ...

Matthew Harpham: Paddler Occupation: Process Engineer in Water & Sewage Works Age: 39 years old Likes: Adventure, Charity,  dungeon & dragons, Indie music,  anchovies Dislikes: Corporate “Yes Men”, jargon, beetroot Sports: Mountaineering, caving, swimming, climbing, kick ...

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 ...

Aaron is the youngest in the team at only 14 years and has been paddling for just over 4years. He is out on theAaron the kayak kid 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 ...

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 ...