Cancer Challenge Canoe Polo

Here’s your chance to give pointing through poles a rest for the weekend and play with balls in your boat - and join hundreds of canoeists in raising £1000s for cancer charities.

What am I talking about? Well, apart from riddles, I’m letting you know about the return of Cancer Challenge Canoe Polo - a non-stop 26-Hour game of canoe polo.

In 2004, whilst I was having treatment for Hodgkin’s Disease, a type of cancer, and was unable to canoe, a team from my old university canoe club joined me in organising the World’s longest, continuous canoe polo match. The sponsored canoe polo match with over 220 people taking part raised over £17,000 for three cancer charities.

This year we’re aiming to be bigger, better and longer and hope to keep the game going for 26-hours. We smashed our £10,000 target last time with the help of several SSCC paddlers and hope to do the same again this year. We’re raising money for Cancer Backup, Macmillan Cancer relief and the Ellen MacArthur Trust. (We figured if you can’t go canoeing whilst having chemotherapy, going sailing is the next best thing.)

The event is taking place at Hatfield Water Park, Doncaster on June 9th & 10th. There is on-site camping and catering.

You don’t have to be a polo expert to take part - or even have the faintest idea of the rules as there will be master classes beforehand and you will be matched against similar ability players. There will be other paddlesport events running alongside with plenty of opportunities to win prizes.

Everyone enters individually as there are only two teams. We keep the game going by continuously subbing on and off players. Unfortunately under 16s cannot play during the night.

If you’re interested in taking part or would like to sponsor me, look at http://www.cancerchallenge.org.uk/ or contact Ruth Holdway for more details.

Ruth Holdway