Photos:
Alfie Marsh
www.alfie marsh.com
Sarah Thornely
& Peter Tranter
To track Jordan’s SUP journey and support his cause, @ www.thegreatbritishpaddle.com
Foreword ‘The Wylie diary’
An update on The Great British Paddle
Ever since we met Jordan Wylie, we at Supjunkie have well and truly been behind him, his story and his fundraising mission. This expedition was not to be underestimated, and many more experienced paddlers saw this as perhaps a mission too great – Jordan totally gets that. However, he’s still out there paddling and still raising money for his chosen charity, but it has not been without great difficulty, and that is where the MAN comes in. For someone to honestly believe that even if they do not feel motivated every day to paddle but to be disciplined about it, makes you understand how Jordan has got this far.
The latest stats are mind-bending – Jordan has just celebrated (although I’m not sure he’d use that word!) passing 100 days – as I write this, it’s 110. He has recently paddled into his FIFTH country, crossing the Irish Sea whilst toughing it out on a 77 km PB in a double-whammy paddle making the most of the rare favourable conditions. It also sees him halfway around Great Britain and back on the mainland!
Recently, it was doubtful he would reach Scotland as the Scottish Government were concerned due to the current climate. A Zoom meeting later and massive thanks to the UK Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, confirmed that Jordan and the team were good to go, for now. The team have been very thorough and careful throughout this challenge – safety for Jordan, the crew and the general public has been vital.
Jordan is currently hugging the west coast of Scotland. The team live and work from the yacht, which has been generously donated to them by the Royal Logistics Corps – Spirit of St. George II is the official sailing yacht of the RLC. All logistics are run from here with on-land support of Project Manager Alex Alley and Paula Reid, the adventure psychologist.
This trip is about teamwork from the many, many people following The Great British Paddle (TGBP). Supjunkie have recently launched a fundraiser selling their t-shirt and clothing range. All profits during November and December will be split between two great causes, one of which is Frontline Children, the chosen Charity of Jordan and TGBP. Check out www.supjunkie.co.uk for more info.
#poundapaddle
Another initiative between Supjunkie and adventurer Samantha Rutt of Barefoot SUP is to raise awareness of Jordan’s fundraising project to the wider paddling community. #poundapaddle will encourage paddlers to donate just one pound per paddle, which can be a one-off donation or continuous contribution each time the paddler hits the water. If paddling if advised against in your location, you can join in with any exercise that motivates you so, #poundapooch, #poundaplod, #poundapeddle, #poundapilates – you get the idea.
From Sarah: “It seems that 2020 is the year of the child – they ask for nothing and this year, in particular, sees them possibly having nothing, be it school lunches or education. Imagine being a child on the frontline, war-torn, hungry and not a hope of education – let Jordan, Sam and I join the likes of good people like Marcus Rashford in bringing these children to the forefront of everybody’s mind and care wherever they are in the world. The challenges that these particular children face is unimaginable, and Jordan makes it his mission every day to thank each one of us in helping to raise money for the less fortunate. How can I not support him when he truly supports others? We are asking for a little, but collectively it will mean a lot to all those Frontline Children. Jordan is having a very bumpy ride around Great Britain but nowhere near as bumpy as those children, so I really thank you for your support in this new initiative.”
From Sam: “I have been truly inspired by Jordan and his brutal challenge of paddling around the whole of our glorious UK. To take on such an immense challenge is mind-blowing in itself, but what has struck me most about this and why I want to stand up and support him, is the selfless act of kindness to help others less fortunate than we are. We take education for granted and yet we know, now we are adults, they are often the best times of our lives. To be able to give that opportunity to children already experiencing more than any child should, giving them a place to learn and thrive and getting this school built is such a great act of kindness how could you not be inspired by that. The world needs now more than ever acts of kindness, so for me, it’s easy to Stand Up for Jordan to help him, and Frontline Children get this school built. I hope you will stand up and show your support with us!”
From Jordan: “I would like to give a special thank you to Sarah, Samantha and everyone from the Paddling community who are helping me on my quest to inspire hope through education to children who really need our support on the other side of the world. Taking part in this excellent initiative from these awesome ladies is not only great for your physical health and mental well-being, but you will also be making a huge difference to children’s lives, thank you.”
So, Jordan now begins possibly the most dangerous part of his challenge – circumnavigating Scotland through the winter – this is a Guinness World Record attempt. Still, as far as Jordan is concerned, the most important part of this challenge is to complete the fundraising to enable that school to be built and for him to return home safely to see his daughter and family ultimately. The timeframe of this trip was never for Jordan to be paddling around Scotland in the winter, but here he is, forever determined to finish the job! We wish him continued success 🙂
