Mach lads complete Severn Challenge for Help for Heroes
An adventurous team of 10 men took 27 hours and 42 minutes to paddle down the River Severn from Welshpool to Gloucester Docks to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity.
The team, known as the Mach Lads because of their links with Machynlleth, set off from opposite Moors Farm guesthouse, on the outskirts of Welshpool on Friday, October 14 and arrived at their destination two days later after canoeing 127 miles.
All the money raised in sponsorship and donations - to date £3,213 - will go to Help for Heroes, the charity that supports wounded British servicemen and women.
The men involved in the Severn Challenge were brothers Anthony and Edward Rhodes,
Gethin Thomas and Alan Murphy, all from the Machynlleth area, Matthew Davies from Bury St Edmunds, Mel Popple from Wellington, Somerset, Darren Winterflood from Stevenage, Martin McGuinness from Welwyn Garden City and Barry Smith from St Austell.
Six of them paddled the complete 127 miles in two Canadian canoes, while the others provided back-up support and two spare paddlers in case of emergency.
“The first day was probably the most difficult and, with a number of log jams and capsizes, we were 12 miles behind schedule,” said Anthony Rhodes from Plas Dolguog Hotel, Machynlleth.
“On the second day, with supreme effort and a very early start, we managed to haul the lost time back. This allowed a more leisurely final day of only 39 miles.”
He thanked corporate sponsors Salop Leisure, Tanners Wines, Plas Dolguog Hotel, ABI Caravans, Castell Howell, GT Digital and Hafren Furnishers, Llanidloes as well as all the individual sponsors for their support. Outstanding pledges and donations can be paid via http://www.justgiving.com/teams/H4H-severncanoeing.
The Mach Lads have previously raised £1,800 for Cancer Research UK by taking part in the Three Peaks Challenge, which entailed climbing Ben Nevis, Scaffell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours.
For his 40th birthday, Anthony had his head shaved by his mates to raise £1,000 for Wales Air Ambulance and they completed the Welsh Three Peaks challenge in 12 hours to raise £3,500 for the scanner appeal at Bronglais General Hospital, Aberystwyth in 2009.
“We chose Help for Heroes as the charity because four of the lads are ex-servicemen and we all feel strongly that wounded British service personnel deserve to be cared for properly when they return,” said Anthony. “It’s a way of showing our support for them.”
As he and Edward are Machynlleth Rotarians, some Rotary clubs along the River Severn supported the fundraising campaign.
