This is the story of brave and determined women; a family story about supportive parents, Olympic athletes and a story of what one daughter is doing to give something back to her parents and other members of society decades later.
On the 23-24 June former Olympian Rachel Crosbee is attempting to paddle for 24hrs, canoeing from Stirling to Edinburgh and then to Glasgow covering more than 100miles on the river Forth and the lowland canals. The aim is to raise money for, and awareness of, a little known disease called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
The story began in the early ‘70s with a homemade wooden canoe in Harpenden, Hertfordshire and parents who made it possible for 2 of their 4 children to compete for Britain in European and World Canoe Slalom Championships and in the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics.
As Mums do the world over, it was also our mum who, on a day to day basis, kept the family together. Our parents firmly believed in encouraging their children to reach their full potential and when this involved supporting Richard and Rachel over a period of about 20 years on the banks of Britain’s, and later, the world’s rivers, encouraging them to become successful British athletes (see links below), mum didn’t shy away from living rough and cooking meals on a low budget for a family of six in tents in the sheep fields in Derbyshire, Wales and Scotland; sewing the tents we slept in during the canoe slalom competitions - on a hand-operated Singer sewing machine, no less - or experimenting with neoprene to make practical sandals before the days of modern sport sandals. This mum, who was born in India in the days of the Raj, made an active contribution to every school, church and community she was associated with and looking back now, I wonder how, in 1981 within the space of three months she managed to keep a family of 6 going while volunteering as publicity officer and chief organiser of the refreshment tent for hundreds of spectators at the Canoe Slalom World Championships in Bala, Wales AND organise and cater for her eldest daughter’s wedding, making three bridesmaid dresses on the afore mentioned sewing machine and entertain her new son-in-law’s non-English speaking family for a week after the wedding! This Mum, who, took a part time degree while she was pregnant with her fourth child; who worked with Dad and others to found St Albans Canoe Club; who accepted his frequent absences when he served on the board of the British Canoe Union; who agreed to move to Lincolnshire when he helped organise and run the 1995 Canoe Slalom World Championships in Nottingham, who has written numerous unpublished articles and essays ranging from the History of Tea to the History of Ingoldsby, now has 8 grandchildren living in Australia, the US, Germany and Scotland, one of whom is coming back ‘home’ to compete in this year’s Olympics, albeit for Australia. This mum, a mum who has raised a family and contributed to society, the kind of mum who can be found the world over, is now suffering from PSP and her name is Jennifer Fox.
Jennifer has been incredibly brave in the face of this little-known degenerative disease: only last September she travelled to Germany with her then 79 year-old husband Roger, when she could no longer speak or walk unaided. As her brain progressively ceases to function, she is fully aware of what is going on around her; she laughs at jokes and enjoys audio books and TV documentaries. Unable to bear her own weight, confined to a wheel chair, bent over double and only able to see the ground, she cannot feed herself and is finding it increasingly difficult to swallow. She is unable to communicate with others and has been forced to become accustomed to being talked over, talked about and talked at, but she won’t allow herself to feel defeated. She still goes out in public and will be there in Glasgow when Rachel completes her “Kayak Challenge” in aid of PSP, she will be there in August when her granddaughter competes at the Lea Valley White Water Centre and we are hoping that she will have the opportunity to meet Lord Coe, vice chairman of the PSP Association. One of her greatest wishes is that increased public awareness of PSP will eventually lead to more understanding about the illness and funding for research into treatment and possibly a cure for PSP and so benefit future sufferers. This is why I am asking you to tell the story of Jennifer and her daughter Rachel’s challenge on the 22nd June.
Some related links and information:
Thank you so much for your time,
Daphne Klimmek
Good Luck Rachel and Best Wishes to Jennifer...my thoughts and admiration are with you both.x
ReplyDeleteGood Luck Rach! What you're doing is amazing :) , love jess and noemie
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