2 hours to go before I start my adventure. Thanks so much to Mum and Dad for being such influential and inspirational parents. This is for you guys.
Thank you also to all my supporters who are going to get wet and tired on the water and those who are going to support me along the way, it will make all the difference.
This challenge is for all those people who are suffering with terminal illnesses with no or little hope and who rely on family and carers to maintain their dignity and quality of life, you are the true heros.

To all those who have contributed and sponsored me a huge thank you we have raised around £1500 for the PSP association and the total is rising.

This is my schedule for next week.

Sat 23rd
11.00 Leave Stirling rowing club. If windy may move to Speirs Wharf as the start.
18.00 Falkirk Wheel
19.30 Polmont
21.00 Linlithgow
22.30 Winchburgh
0.00 Ratho, joined by my paddle supporters up to Falkirk wheel
Sun 24th
06.00 Falkirk Wheel
08.00 Wyndford 4 miles (lock 20) just off the A803 West of Bonneybridge
10.30 The Stables restaurant just west of Kirkintilloch 11miles
12.00 Speirs Wharf, just opposite Cafe Ocho (G4 9TB). 7 miles
My toughest sections will be from Linlithgow to Ratho before I meet my paddlers and again from Kirkintilloch to the finish. So if any cyclists or runners wish to join me that would be fun.


About the finish
At this site just past Speirs Wharf there are plans to create a paddlesports centre.
http://www.glasgowcanal.co.uk/regeneration-projects/paddlesports-centre

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 22^nd June.

Some related links and information:

http://www.pspeur.org/

http://rachel-crosbee.blogspot.co.uk/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Fox_%28canoeist%29

http://jessfoxblog.blogspot.de/

http://www.london2012.com/canoe-slalom/index.html

Thank you so much for your time,

Daphne Klimmek

On Friday I managed 9.5 hours on the River Forth to Grangemouth and back against the tide both ways. Hard work but good practice session for 3 weeks time. Chatted to a local near Alloa who saw porpoises nearby last week. No sign of any wildlife though this time. The hardest section will be the cross to Grangemouth about 3 km across a wide shallow bay. Fine with little tidal current and mild wind but as I discovered the other week, in winds, especially cross winds, it takes about an hour to cross. Looking forward to that section!
Sat visit to the Falkirk wheel and checked out the plan for the portages. The canalscotland event listing lists the challenge on the 23-24th. So the word is official, no backing out now.
Sunday Physiofocus support the Stirling Triathalon with post race massage, all donations were for the PSP association. We raised £250, a big thank you to all the Physios for their hard work and the athletes for the donations.

My first paddle in the sun. 1 week later and gone from winter cag and cold hands to t shirt and hot hot hot, I love this crazy country! 10 miles in 50mins and no angry swan this time just a heron who followed me for a bit and some burnt drunk fishermen and this was midday.

Trying to work out what my pace will be like over 24 hours, managed an ave of 5 miles an hour over 12 hours, I wonder how much I will fade after 70-100miles.

Its raining again. At least you don't feel the rain too much when on the water. A short 2 hour paddle today  up the Teith which was good training against the current. Hoping to do a 3 hour paddle tomorrow.

Sunday training 6 hours down the Forth from Stirling into the river Carron and protage into the Forth and Clyde canal.

That was the hardest session I have done in years. 6 hours with the last 3 in 20mph cross and head winds and against tide. The idea was a trial run to get from Forth into the Forth and Clyde canal. The verdict, well I did it but now I'm wasted, not sure how I would manage another 18hrs.

When the going gets tough I try to remember what Mum and people like her are going through. For them there is no end in sight their troubles and difficulties are with them constantly. It must take an enormous effort each day to keep going and be positive. I am always inspired by the fighting spirit from Mum and there is no sign of self pity.

http://www.pspeur.org/