British Adventurers Dave Cornthwaite and Sarah Outen aim to be the first to Stand Up Paddle (SUP) between Bath and London. The pair, who between them have rowed and paddled across both oceans and continents, are to team up for the first time, to endure a week of Stand Up Paddling across the UK from Bath to London. They are aiming to arrive into London’s Tower Bridge on the 8th June to celebrate World Oceans Day.

Cornthwaite, who once skateboarded across Australia and also paddled the country’s longest river, and Outen, who rowed solo across the Indian Ocean last year, are measuring their trip in Blue Miles, which are miles travelled on or besides the water. The dynamic duo are both Ambassadors of The Blue Mile - Race for the Environment, the UK’s newest mass-participation event which encourages participants to swim, paddle or walk for our seas. They are planning for 100’s of paddlers to join them for sections of the trip aiming to amass a total of 1000 Blue Miles before they reach their finish line at Tower Bridge.

“Fusing sport and travel is a great way to enthuse people about the Blue environment in which they play and train,” Cornthwaite says,  “there’s no better way to celebrate the spirit of British Adventure than travelling through our own country with an ever-growing group of strangers joining our ranks.”

“SUP is similar to surfing, but it’s much easier as you use a paddle to get around – a bit like punting,” said Sarah.  “I love anything that allows me to travel on water and get close to nature.  As a sport it is great because it is so accessible and versatile - it can be done virtually anywhere by anyone, plus it’s a great way to keep fit.”

The 150 mile route isn’t just a straightforward paddle, as 114 locks – or portages - lie between Bath and London. Effectively, Cornthwaite and Outen are taking on the route of the famous Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race, with another 25 miles on top.

The Blue Bath 2 London is being supported by Sport Environment and will promote the Blue Climate and Oceans Project, an initiative that works with sports men and women to harnesses the popularity of adventure sports that showcase the natural environment.

Other supporting sponsors  include Spaceships Campervans, Starboard, Africa & Asia Venture, Palm Equipment Europe, Cotswold Outdoor, Nakd Wholefoods and the Family Adventure Store.

About Sarah Outen
In 2009 Sarah rowed over 4000 miles between Australia and Mauritius, becoming the first and youngest woman to row the Indian Ocean and the youngest woman at the time to ever row an ocean. She is now preparing for a self-propelled circumnavigation of the globe starting and ending in London, England. She's due to set off in April 2011.

About Dave Cornthwaite
Dave was the first person to skateboard the length of Britain and in 2006 broke a Guinness world record for the longest distance ever skated by travelling across Australia from Perth to Brisbane. In 2009 he completed a source to sea expedition along Australia’s largest river, the Murray, before becoming the first person to Stand Up Paddle the length of Lake Geneva. The Blue Bath2London is the second in a series of mini-adventures on Stand Up Paddleboards leading up to a World Record breaking distance journey in 2011.

About The Blue Project
BLUE connects people, their lifestyle and their passions by harnessing the popularity of adventure sports that showcase the natural environment. BLUE works with world-class sports men and women who share their experiences, their passion for the environment and their commitment to healthy living with the wider community. BLUE channels this content to build digital learning, social networking and mass participation activities designed to achieve measurable behaviour change and clear environmental and social outcomes.  www.theblueproject.org
The BLUE MILE – Race for the Environment is the UK's newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our BLUE Environment. It will be open to everyone to take part and complete a mile in, on or next to a water environment. www.thebluemile.org
Charities
Dave and Sarah are paddling in aid of:

About AV foundation
The AV Foundation is an educational charity supporting rural schools in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It was established by the volunteering organisation Africa & Asia Venture ("AV") to help enhance the quality of school education in the communities served by AV volunteers. www.avfoundation.org

About CoppaFeel
CoppaFeel aims to hit home the importance of breast examination in younger women.  Cancer isn’t fussy about your age, it doesn’t conform to the over forties rule we try to impose on it.  As well as informing young women about breast cancer, CoppaFeel’s active campaign work strives to instil confidence in young women wishing to seek professional advice when concerns arise.  The ultimate goal of CoppaFeel is to reduce the incidence of late detection or misdiagnosed breast cancer.  www.coppafeel.org.


For more information:
·        Visit www.thegreatbigpaddle.com
·        Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
·        AV foundation: www.avfoundation.org
·        CoppaFeel: www.coppafeel.org

During the adventure:
·        Contact the support team on 07872 986084
·        Donations can be made in person or online at www.justgiving.com/greatbigpaddle