OP Dan Holloway (94-99) and his team mate Nick Spicer have completed the Yukon 1000 Race, one of the toughest challenges on water.  Racing under the team name Fortune Favours The Brave, Dan and Nick finished the race in seventh place overall and fourth place in their class in an amazing time of seven days, three hours and thirty four minutes.  Dan later shared his thoughts on completing this epic challenge.

Crossing the finish line at Dalton Highway I felt a mix of pure elation and relief (there may even been a tear or two as we stopped to compose ourselves before finishing)!

The race is absolutely brutal, it is a 1000 miles along a beautiful river, but after paddling for 18 hours a day for 7 days, with the weather varying from torrential rain, electrical storms, to searing heat and the light reflecting off the water it starts to wear you down physically and emotionally. During the darker moments during the race, when we thought about withdrawing, bodies hurting, hands blistering, we were motivated by the thought of the love and support from our families, friends, and for the charities that we were supporting, the power of purpose can push you past the impossible. A 1000 miles is a huge amount and almost too much to comprehend, so we split the race down into manageable sections, set goals, and just made one paddle stroke after stroke. 

There were highlights along the way as well, such as seeing a black bear swimming in front of us, the incredible scenery, surviving the 5 Finger Rapids, deeping my friendship with my race partner Nick, and most importantly meeting all the incredible competitors from around the world. Thank you to all their advice and moral support along the way. 

It’s now time to reflect on the event, spend time with my incredibly patient family, and to do a final push on fundraising for YPI Counselling.”

If you been impressed by Dan and Nick's efforts there is still time to donate to Dan's Just Giving page by following the link below

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/yukon1000-fftb?fbclid=PAAaYrkmvU2Q6DzQLBz_0RSUW44X3fl-nJp0m-PAo4SB8W_UO9BgTvhTXiUgI