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WORDS: SARAH THORNELY
PHOTOS: Mandy Thomas
Bio
Sarah has been paddling SUP for nine years, and OC for two. Introduced to the sport by a couple of female friends, Sarah’s love of SUP brought her to running SUPJunkie, covering UK and worldwide races through live feeds and interviews. She was the joint winner of the SUP National Series 14’ Class and entered the 2019 Round Jersey Challenge on her OC after only three months of training.
Sarah is a qualified instructor with the ASI and British Canoeing and still gets great pleasure in getting complete beginners on the water. Sarah writes for SUP Mag UK and the Paddler, and does a lot work to support the GBSUP race series as well as paddlers who are participating in adventures and challenges for charity. https://www.supjunkie.co.uk
A chat with… Sophie Witter and Dave Chant of SUP IT & SEA UK
Sophie Witter and Dave Chant are collectively known as SUP It & Sea – this is the story of their incredible journey to complete the infamous LEJOG route by SUP! Between July and October 2021, this pair completed the 1,702.95 kilometres in 89 days, with 64 days spent on the water.
I caught up with them whilst they were walking back on the JOGLE route. The two paddleboarders have turned hikers to walk the 2,200 km back from Scotland.
How long have you both been paddling?
S: I had my one-year ‘paddleaversary’ in August 2021 while on the expedition. My first paddle ended with an inevitable dunk in the water, but I loved it.
D: I’ve been paddling like many people since the ‘mass craze of 2020’, so 13 months at the point when we embarked on Sup It & Sea.
Who came up with the idea of paddling LEJOG?
S: Dave told me on one of our very first dates that he intended to paddleboard LEJOG, and I got what we call adventure butterflies, a mixture of excitement and a lot of jealously so when Dave asked me to join him, I jumped at the opportunity.
D: My second trip on my paddleboard was 17km down the River Thames from Henley to Cookham. I loved the idea of touring, so ultimately, the idea of doing Land’s End to John O’Groats seemed like the most epic of quintessential British journeys, and I was hooked. I always liked the idea of making the trip as a pair, both for safety and camaraderie, and the obsession never went away.
Tell us about the charities you are supporting?
S: The Wilderness Foundation work with people across various ages and backgrounds who live with depression, anxiety, PTSD or have found themselves in abusive circumstances. They do this by providing access to therapy and counselling and the opportunity to get outdoors through hiking, canoeing and camping trips. I found that doing the work in therapy to understand my own depression and anxiety coupled with hiking, paddleboarding and wild swimming and the enjoyment I got from the outdoors made me a happier and healthier person. As a water lover, I was also hugely supportive and passionate about Dave’s decision to support the RNLI.
D: We also wanted to support a charity in the SUP community. Jordan Wylie and The Great British Paddle had been an important factor in helping us with kit and encouragement for our challenge, so we wanted to support his charity Frontline Children.
What were the reactions of your friends and families when you announced what you were planning to do and how has the general support of people been along the way?
S: I think it was fair to say the initial reaction was mixed. My parents were amazingly supportive, and I think this support has grown throughout the trip as they can see and understand the positive impact it has had on me and get a greater understanding of how I wish to live my life.
D: My family was strangely supportive, which was a first and very unusual. Friends ranged from supportive to almost hostile, though we felt some were just jealous! We were lucky to have people like Jordan Wylie and our weather navigator, Alex Alley, behind us telling us to ignore any detractors and go out and make it happen. The general support of people along the way though, was fantastic – it’s funny how strangers can often be the most enthusiastic.
How has SUP helped with the physical and mental challenges you may have had?
S: I live with depression and anxiety, and although I didn’t start SUP as a coping mechanism, it soon became one. I think the sense of freedom and adventure from being on the water is part of the reason why it is so attractive and helpful. It can be so easy to become trapped by our mind or day to day life and the flow brought by being on the water can so easily transport you away from this. Also, like most exercise, it does wonders for your physical and mental health, but for me, the fact that it didn’t feel like exercise meant that I enjoyed it, and the benefits came with ease rather than force.
D: For me, the challenges are primarily physical – I’m on a yearly review for a total hip replacement, so SUP has been an incredible and low impact way of keeping me active. That being said, I still had hip and knee pain all the way, but being able to get out on the water and paddle has been amazing in terms of having total belief in yourself.
Who helped you with paddling and safety guidance?
D: I had never been on the sea until six weeks before the expedition began, so it was vital for us to get experience and help with tidal navigation. I approached the Water Skills Academy and could not be more stunned with the quality and knowledge of their affiliated trainers. Dave Brown’s team at AcwaTerra helped us massively, especially with navigation skills, and Sam Starkie, who runs Newquay Watersports Centre, put us through our paces out on the sea. I do not doubt that without learning skills from them, we would never have made it to John O’Groats.
As a couple, how did you get along on the trip?
S: Having not known each other long and dealing with things in different ways has certainly brought challenges and a fair few arguments, but it has also brought some great fun and a lot of learning. We jokingly say I had to learn about Dave in reverse as we jumped right in with the crazy adventures but have since learnt about his quieter, logical side.
D: We had a few arguments on the way! We knew that doing this as a pair meant more safety and an ally on the water, but it also meant two opinions and having to do this as a team, not an individual, which has its complications.
How did you feel at the start of your journey?
S: I was excited, nervous and felt a huge sense of responsibility as we were representing not only ourselves but our charities, and we, of course, wouldn’t want to be rescued by the RNLI. However, this all soon gave way as I succumbed to the most horrendous seasickness, which took me off the water twice that day and resulted in us being behind schedule and having to camp on the beach.
D: Very nervous! We were on Sennen Beach at 05.00 with two brand new Sic Bullet boards we had never used, and I had at that point been on the sea four times in my life on a paddleboard.
What were the highlights of the journey, stand out moments?
S: Starfish, dolphins, the lost board, the van breaking down, the Covid incident, the broken paddle, seals, sunsets, the Lake District coastline, the finishing day, the Severn bridges and all of the people – all truly stand out moments!
How did the general public treat you on your journey?
S: Again, so many legends – the Portishead cake, breakfast and shower givers! Steve at Fusion Repairs, Gareth at Get on the Water, the knowledgeable help from the family in Drummore and a man from Gloucester who donated all he could; it was pennies – he too suffered from mental health issues. Honestly, the list is endless, and I wish we could shout them all out. The people were such a huge part of what made this journey special.
D: We had so many standout conversations with people interested in what we were doing, and nine times out of 10, they led to people donating to our charities. Overall, everyone we met was very good-natured and tremendously positive and helpful. Oh, except for the three teenagers in Stourport that threw rocks at us off a bridge!
What did you miss most during your journey?
S: My cat! During the expedition, there was very little that I missed. I loved the lifestyle that came alongside the experience, it made me feel alive and appreciate just how little we need to have a fulfilling life, but I missed my cat desperately. I was always grateful for hot water and a shower too!
D: On one radio interview, I mentioned I missed my Nespresso machine, which I was told was a very middle-class answer! But strangely, I didn’t miss much on our journey except being warm!
Did you always know you would achieve your goal?
S: I had this sense of calmness throughout our journey and this unwavering belief that we were going to make it and on the last day, at the last get out, we just looked at each other, smiled and knew it was done.
D: I had a quiet belief we would do it all along as long, especially as we didn’t end up going too far into winter and worsening weather.
Was it an emotional ending or a completely joyous one?
S: It was bizarre and utterly unbelievable as we knew we might not make it that last day. As we paddled, the sea and weather gods were kind to us and everything just aligned. When we finally came around the corner, and John O’Groats was in view, it was just surreal. I wish I had the words, but I don’t even think even Dali could capture how surreal the moment was for us.
D: It was a completely surreal experience, like a dream. We spent hours by the signpost at John O’Groats shivering and cold in our neoprene but invigorated by having made the end. We did 57 km on the water on the last day as everything fell into place.
Has this challenge changed you as people?
S: I think I have grown as a person, and the expedition has been one of the biggest steps in recent years, allowing me to be the person I knew I was inside. I have benefited emotionally and mentally from the expedition, and it has both solidified some of the work I have done in therapy and made me surer of myself. It has also shown me other areas of myself that need exploring and how to live the life I now want.
D: I think you come away with a startling realisation of what you’re capable of. Part of our wish with SUP It & Sea was to show that ‘ordinary’ people can achieve extraordinary adventures, and you realise that is true.
What would you say to people who are on the brink of doing something epic but just need that little push to continue?
S: Just try! There is never a perfect time, don’t be afraid to ask for help and embrace the experience. If Dave and I can do it, so can you, and we are here for you if you need any help with your adventure.
D: Just do it. Take the first step, and then another, and it will all fit into place.
How long did it take you to decide on your new challenge to walk the JOGLE?
S and D: We both joked about it pretty early on in the paddle but decided to ‘park’ it until we had made it to John O’Groats by SUP. The crazy idea then took hold of us both to do it – the biggest challenge is the cold, lack of daylight and the added pressure on Dave’s hips, but we just couldn’t resist!
So just imagine yourself as an ‘ordinary’ person with an ‘extraordinary’ dream of adventure just like Sophie and Dave – it really can be done! I want to thank them both for the story of their adventure and wish them both lots of luck with the return leg.
You can follow them both here:
Web: https://supitandsea.uk
FB: www.facebook.com/supitandseauk
Insta: @supitandseauk