After a couple of years of the weather scuppering the plan, I’m paddling the Devizes to Westminster canoe race in aid of Combat Stress this Easter weekend.
Historically, the Ministry of Defence support given to those affected by their service experiences has been poor to say the least, so charities like Combat Stress are incredibly important.
So, due to a combination of drinking and saying ‘Yes’ when the idea of canoeing for 4 straight days from one side of the country to the other was suggested, and in memory of the crew of HMS Coventry D118, I’m paddling 118 miles in the Devizes to Westminster canoe race, with my friend Marion shouting at me from behind, to raise money for Combat Stress.
Devizes to Westminster is the UK’s longest canoe race, usually covering 125 miles from the quay at Devizes in Wiltshire to Westminster Bridge in London. This year the class I’m entered in will be finishing a little short, at Putney, but as this makes it 118 miles I’m viewing it as a fortuitous coincidence with HMS Coventry’s pennant number of D118!
Combat Stress is the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health. For over a century, they’ve helped former servicemen and women deal with issues like trauma, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, they provide support to veterans from every service and every conflict.
Thank you so much for your support.
https://events.combatstress.org.uk/fundraisers/damienburke/damien–s-d118-devizes-to-westminster
If you’d like to follow me online, we are in boat 601, and you can track the boat here: