A NOVICE paddler who took up the sport less than two years ago has joined forces with a seasoned expert to take part in a gruelling 125-mile river race for charity.
Rebecca Bird, 53, will be making her debut in this year’s Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race alongside Alex Burt, 46, a former Team GB slalom canoeist and serving Army Lieutenant Colonel who has completed the race four times before.
The pair, who live in Newbury and are members of the town’s canoe club, will be hitting the water in a pairs kayak on Saturday, March 30, and paddling non-stop, aiming to finish within 21 hours.
They have so far raised £640 towards their £1,000 target for Prostate Cancer UK, which they chose after a mutual friend and fellow club member was diagnosed with the illness.
Their challenge will take them from Devizes in Wiltshire, along the Kennet and Avon Canal, through Hungerford, Newbury and Aldermaston, onto the River Thames at Reading, through Marlow and Windsor and finally onto the tidal Thames at Teddington.
The race ends at Westminster Bridge in central London, opposite the Houses of Parliament.
Along the way they will face 77 “portages”, where they will have to get out of the water to carry their kayak past a lock before getting back in on the other side.
They each expect to burn at least 600 calories per hour, so will be accompanied by a seven-strong support crew to supply them with water, spare clothing and high-energy food like sandwiches, boiled potatoes, bananas, and flapjacks all cut into small bite-sized pieces.
The crew will be led by Paul Jackson, 55, a fellow Newbury resident who was set to be Rebecca’s partner in the race but was unexpectedly diagnosed with prostate cancer during a routine check last autumn.
Paul has also paddled from Devizes to Westminster four times before, twice with his wife Kathryn, and only got checked because she urged him. The illness was thankfully caught early and, after undergoing treatment, he is set to make a full recovery.
Rebecca, a local government communications officer, got into paddling after signing up for a beginners’ course with the club in May 2022.
She only expected it to become a casual hobby, but quickly moved up from racing division 9, or entry level, to the more competitive division 5 in just three months. She entered her first race in May last year.
Rebecca, known as “Dolly” to fellow members for having gone from division 9 to 5, said: ‘I love paddling – it ticks so many boxes for me. It’s great exercise, not as hard on your body as running but still outdoors and mostly in the countryside, with a bit of exciting competition thrown in and a great community of members at the club.
“Paul and I started training together last summer and by autumn we were both keen to try the new relay version of the DW.
“Last year at this time, I thought you had to be a bit mad to want to put yourself through something so challenging, both physically and mentally. But I now fully get the attraction and am so excited to be doing it.’
A keen runner and walker, Rebecca has been training up to 15 hours a week by paddling both long-distance and interval sessions, along with at least one paddle a week in the dark to prepare for the overnight hours of the race.
She’s also done several long paddles on the River Thames with it running high and fast, as it likely will be on the day. Her training also includes running, circuits and yoga.
She said: ‘I never imagined getting this far with kayaking when I first started, but fell for it right away. There’s just something magical about being on the water, it’s a way to stay fit that I don’t have to force myself to do like going to the gym, and I’ve met such a fantastic bunch of people at the club – it’s a really social sport.
“Paul is such a lovely guy, and paddling with him is great fun. I was really looking forward to doing the relay DW with him – we would have only been paddling half the distance, so it would be a gentle introduction to it for me.
“Hearing about Paul’s diagnosis was devastating, but he did always know he would be OK as it was caught very early, which was a huge relief to everyone who knows him.”
Alex, an educational and training services officer currently working at the Land Warfare Centre was keen to step in following Paul’s diagnosis so that Newbury Canoe Club are able to field a team of three boats.
He placed third in his most recent Devizes to Westminster entry in 2019 and is hoping to help the club regain the team prize—awarded to the club with the fastest combined time for three boats from the same club—which they also won in 2019.
Alex, a lifelong paddler who is now introducing his eight-year-old son Max to the sport, said: ‘When I heard about Paul’s withdrawal, I was keen to step in and help out. The diagnosis of a friend makes you realise that we are all susceptible and need to take every opportunity that presents itself.
“Following the Waterside Series organised by Newbury Canoe Club—often considered a warmup to the DW—I’m confident that we are prepared for the challenge ahead. The hardest bit will be on the river at four in the morning, when our limbs are aching and we know we still have over five hours of paddling left. It will be great having Paul leading our support crew, he is extremely experienced and knows how to keep people motivated.
Rebecca added: “I’ve loved every minute of the training, both with Paul before his diagnosis and with Alex. They are both better paddlers than I am and I have learned so much from them – I’m a much stronger paddler today than I was when we first started training.
“It is a bit intimidating paddling with Alex as he is so good, but I just have to keep reminding myself that he wouldn’t be paddling with me if he didn’t think I was good enough to paddle in the back of a boat with him.
“I have to admit, I am a wee bit nervous about the DW, but I’m also really excited. We have a couple of weeks still to get through, but I feel like I’m where I need to be in terms of training and fitness. In the Waterside Series races we’ve been doing, I’ve felt well prepared and ready for them, rather than just nervous – before the second one I woke up at four in the morning with excitement, like a child at Christmas.”
She continued: “When Paul had to pull out of the race, I knew I wanted to do something for him. Not only was he going through a really difficult time because of the cancer, but also because he was also looking forward to the race.
“Deciding to step down must have been so hard, but he did it so that I could still race. Dedicating our race to fundraising for prostate cancer just felt like the right thing to do for Paul… That and agreeing to do the race with him next year.”
As chief supporter, Paul will be coordinating the team. This comprises three cars, each carrying two people, with a seventh cyclist riding alongside Rebecca and Alex on the towpath to relay messages and light the way when it gets dark.
Paul, who first took part in the race more than 30 years ago, said: “Being diagnosed with prostate cancer was a real shock, especially as I had no symptoms and felt fit and well. I only went for a blood test because my wife wanted me to get checked out—it had been on the news a lot and we have relatives who have been diagnosed with it. Now I’m so thankful that she persuaded me to go.
“It wasn’t the news I wanted, but now it’s all gone and I’m recovering well. I’d urge all men over 50 to go and get a blood test—it’s so easy and it may save your life.
“As I wasn’t able to compete in this year’s Waterside series and the DW relay, it was great that Alex could take my seat and paddle with Rebecca. To then find out that they are raising money for Prostate Cancer UK by doing the race because of me was touching, it’s such a lovely gesture.”
He added: I’ve done the DW race four times now and know what determination and effort needs to go in to get to the finish line. I’m extremely confident that Alex and Rebecca will get to Westminster and have great race.
“All the hard training is now done, so my advice to them is to enjoy it and keep paddling.”
To sponsor Rebecca and Alex, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rebecca-bird-1707593358103
