Two Men In A Boat

One of Steve’s good friends, Lee Atkins, is competing in ‘The Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race’, the longest (non stop) canoe race in the world!

Quick Facts

The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race starts in Devizes, Wiltshire and finishes just downstream of Westminster Bridge in London, opposite the Houses of Parliament. The race has been held annually over the Easter Weekend since 1948.
The race is 125 miles long and has 77 portages. The first 52 miles are along the Kennet and Avon Canal, the next 55 miles are on the River Thames and the final section is on the tidal portion of the Thames.
The race is a severe test of skill and stamina which produces a memorable sense of achievement for those successfully completing it. The non-stop version of the race is the longest non-stop canoe race in the world.  

From Lee Atkins

"A friend completed the race in 2009 and at my 40th birthday the following month (May 2009) another friend Matt Walker (my now paddle partner) got chatting to him, let’s just say some time in the very early hours of the following morning as Matt was leaving he piped up and said; “Atkins, we are doing that canoe race together next year” I will not repeat my reply but basically translated spelt bugger off and I’ll speak to you soon……….that was May 2009.

In July 2009 we joined reading Canoe club and spent the next month hanging upside down looking at the fishes in the Thames, neither of us had canoed or more properly Kayaked before apart from sunny beaches on surf skis.

We then started improving and with some great coaching from the volunteers we started earning our stripes, culminating in some respectable times in the support races this year even as high as third in the Thameside 1 race in February.

When my wife commented to a friend last year that Matt Walker and I were entered in the race her comment was “no testosterone in that boat then”, we are more than a little competitive, our sacrifice has also meant ditching the Shiraz for the Sports Drinks and the curry for tuna and skinless chicken (oh what fun………..) but Mrs Atkins is no longer complaining, some two stone lost and still falling ……….

There is a serious side to the endeavour, as two near 40 something’s with young families we have been deeply moved by stories emerging from our fallen wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq as they return home with life changing injuries and disabilities, we have both supported Help For Heroes as a charity and Matt Walkers Family firm have adopted the charity as their charity of the year for 2010. We are doing the event for this charity to put something back, give us a sense of purpose, and show our injured service men and women that we care, the charity do fantastic work, they are non political and really do put every penny raised to work. In very few walks of life are you ever required to literally put your life on the line, these men and women do and we feel we owe it to them to support those that fall and need support upon their return to this fantastic country for ours."

See Lee’s Two Men In A Boat website here

Good luck Lee, we can’t wait to hear the story of how you completed the longest (non stop) canoe race in the world!