Role: Treasurer
Hometown: Sheffield
University: Nottingham Trent
Degree: Financial and Project Management in Construction (bit of a mouthful)
Year of study: 3 (placement)
Kayaking Background: Playboating and polo on the side but always a river runner at heart for the last 7/8 years! National Student Rodeo topo duo champion!
Previous Trips: Any damp ditch in the UK, Ireland (twice), France, Austria, Switzerland (quite a few times), Spain,
Canada.
Favorite destination so far: British Columbia, Canada
Previous media coverage: I’ve had pictures in Kayak Session (an international publication) and many YouTube videos
Other Interests: Climbing, Mountaineering, Football, Tennis (anything people will play with me)
Music of choice: Indie Rock style popular stuff
Most exhilarating boating moment: Anytime your falling off a drop in mid-air
What has been your worst boating moment? Everytime I smash my paddles (financially devastating!)
When and where was your last swim? The French Alps on the Lions Den in Ubaye Gorge. I just got sucked back in and munched, end over end, after about a minute I realised I wasnt coming out!
Most random / unusual thing you have ever done? Either riding in a tumble drier OR pulling a mangina
What are you most looking forward to about the expedition? The expedition factor; an almost untravelled place (certainly not a popular holiday destination) and hopefully some of the best, most amazing unpaddled rivers in the world.
What part of the expedition do you feel will be the biggest challenge? Logistical nightmare, trying to get around and find the rivers with limited access or maps. Language has got to be an issue too, I struggle in france!
What will you cook when it’s your turn to feed the team? I do a wicked bangers and mash, with some chedder mash and apples and sausages topped off with onion gravy…Can’t wait to try some russian dishes, that’ll be fun too!
What piece of kit will you be sure you take on expedition? River knife, what else can you cut cheese with?
What made you chose Siberia and Mongolia? Such an unexplored area, so many possibilities for expedition boating, an amazing culture completely different to the western world. Plus it’s got a season that fits into our Uni summer holidays (trickier than you might think!)
As a team, you have alot to live up to after the success of the 2005 Kyrgyzstan trip. What do you think makes The Four Borders Expedition so special? I think the Kyrgyzstan trip certainly made the footprint for the British Universities Kayak Expedition and its now up to us to widen the footprint and spead the word further and louder about kayaking and certainly university kayaking!
How do you think the team will get on since most of them only met for the first time in November? Brilliantly, with so many tallented and individual people I cant wait to get to know everyone better! If everything else fails…we all love boating!