Standing Up for Goats with a SUP20 Mile Challenge

If you happened to think you saw a GOAT paddleboarding down the River Thames the other day, you may not have been mistaken..!!

A member of the Kids for Kids’ Team, Charlotte Allum, decided to take on a Challenge20, dressed as a goat to raise awareness for the Forgotten Children of Darfur.

Charlotte and some supportive SUP-loving friends started in Goring on Thames at 7am on Saturday 25th September and arrived into Henley on Thames, 20 miles downstream, at 5.30pm the same day!

Charlotte says, “I have loved paddleboarding for the past 2 years but have always loved messing about on (& sometimes in!) the water, rather than taking on serious challenges….until now, of course..! With Kids for Kids celebrating 20 years of supporting Darfur, it seemed only fitting that we attempt 20 miles on a stand up paddleboard (SUP)…dressed as a goat..!”

Charlotte goes on to say “There was lots of planning involved to make sure everyone was safe on the day, a spare paddle was packed just in case and we had hoped for overcast conditions to ensure I wasn’t too toasty as a goat! Amazingly, the conditions could not have been better and the challenge went ‘swimmingly’. We were supported by lovely friends and family, cheering us on from the riverbank; we spotted kingfishers, herons and randomly placed postboxes; we were serenaded by a folk trio, celebrity-spotted by a lovely lady who had just read about us in the Henley Standard, and there was even a hot air balloon fly-by to herald our arrival into Henley! We could not have asked for a more perfect day! We were all pretty exhausted after paddling 20 miles but a glass of champagne, a shower on the safety boat and a trip to the pub in Henley were a great way to celebrate!”

The Thames-based Team have together managed to raise a mighty £1030 with this sponsored challenge – thank you so much to all their supporters!

If you would like to support the team and give a little sponsorship, there is still time – just click here!

This money will help provide 20 Goats for Kids for Kids’ 20th anniversary – that’s 5 Goats to each of the 4 poorest families in a village adopted by Kids for Kids. The nutritional goats’ milk will provide sustenance for the starving children and give mothers the possibility of an income for the first time, by selling any excess milk. After 2 years, as the flock grows, 5 Goats will then be passed on from each of these 4 families to another 4 families to benefit – and so the sustainable cycle continues. Just think how many children will benefit over the years!

And, what’s more….now that the SUP20 Team have reached their target of £1000, Charlotte has promised that several of them will attempt…wait for it….a headstand on a paddleboard…!! We can’t wait to see more pictures! Best of luck, Team – together you’ve GOAT this!!

Charlotte would like to give a huge heart-felt THANK YOU to the team of friends and family who supported her on her SUP adventure on the day, namely:

Iain, Pete & Leo for being a fabulous safety boat crew, patiently waiting behind, providing the tunes, lols and pouring the champagne at the end!

Sarah S, Ben & Daniel for being part of the safety boat crew, spurring the team on and shaking the collection bucket at every lock!

James, Ollie, Poppy, Davey, Karen, Ben, Emma & Nicky, for being the land-based team of supporters, providing encouraging cheers, hugs & waves whenever they could!

Doug for being the canoe-based safety crew and also patiently going at a speed much slower than he would normally..!

Lucy, Caz and Sarah F for being the best SUP buddies a girl could wish for! So much support, giggles and wonderful photos – THANK YOU ALL!!

Charlotte would also like to apologise to the poor dog at Marsh Lock who she scared with her goat get-up…oops, sorry!

Thank you so much to you all – now, I wonder what the next Challenge20 will be..!!

Could you take on a Challenge20? Here are some inspirational ideas…!

And in the meantime, here are some photos of our SUP20 challenge…