A West Cumbrian man is set to take on the challenge of a lifetime in aid of charity.
Stephen Walter will cross the Atlantic Gulf Stream overnight on a stand-up paddleboard later this week for cystic fibrosis charity Piper’s Angels Foundation.
Stephen, who has cystic fibrosis, works for Whitehaven Youth Project and is a team member of Wasdale Mountain Rescue.
Through his love of the outdoors, Stephen chose to take on the challenge to raise money for the Piper’s Angels Foundation and to highlight the health benefits that the ocean has for people living with cystic fibrosis, raising over $2,000 for the charity.
Stephen said: “I have cystic fibrosis, so the crossing stood out to me because of my love for the outdoors, paddleboarding, and the natural health benefits that sea salt has on people with CF. I have done lots of charity events and personal challenges previous to this but maybe not quite as challenging as this one.”
The Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis is a long-distance endurance paddle challenge and international championship that takes paddlers 80 miles across the Gulf Stream from the Bahamas back to the Florida mainland.
The event was inspired because of the incredible health benefits of the ocean for those living with cystic fibrosis.
Stephen has been practising his paddleboarding skills at work and in his spare time around Cumbria since the start of the year in preparation for the crossing. While the conditions in West Cumbria will be quite different to those he will face on his challenge, it has only made him more determined to cross the finish line.
He added: “I paddleboard as part of my job, but generally we put away the boards over the winter as it’s really cold in Cumbria during the winter months. I started my training on new year’s day on Wastwater and I have gradually been doing longer mileage and time on my board using our local lakes. In May we travelled north and paddled from Fort William to Inverness, 60 miles over two days.
“I am determined that I will finish the whole 80 miles. I will deal with all the challenges as they come on the day. The heat I think will be my main problem.”
Stephen is looking to inspire more people living with cystic fibrosis that even though they are living with the condition, they can do incredible things.
“I want to prove to myself I can do it and to show others with CF and our local young people that they can achieve anything they put their mind and body to,” he says.
With less than a week to go, there is still time to support Stephen with his fundraising. You can donate to his page and find out more about the challenge here: https://bit.ly/paddlechallengeusa
