The Great Glen Challenge

I know exactly what it is like to take on a challenge and turn it into reality. Working alongside Brett and the AquaPaddle team over the years has taught me more than a few things about grit, resilience, and community. And over the past year, I have been pushing myself further, stepping into the world of ultra-endurance paddling.

This September, I decided to take on the mighty Great Glen Challenge, paddling west to east from Fort William to Inverness. The route stretches an epic 92km, cutting through canals and locks, with long exposed lochs that test even the strongest of paddlers. Distance alone is daunting, but add in wind speeds up to Beaufort 4–5 and waves of nearly two metres on Loch Ness, and the challenge becomes something else entirely.

I had prepared with long summer training sessions, having already completed events such as the Devizes to Westminster Race and the Barrow Blitz in Ireland. I felt ready. But life is never that simple. On the journey to Scotland, my family and I came down with heavy colds. Still, spirits were high, and I had the support of my crew who kept me fuelled and motivated throughout the race.

We started in the dark at 6:30am, ten of us non-stoppers heading off together into the unknown. The landscape was breathtaking: mountains rolling around the lochs, sometimes calm, sometimes whipped by swirling winds. Paddling demanded every ounce of skill — downwind runs, bracing against cross-chop, even one swim which, truth be told, felt refreshing. The canals and their many portages were welcome breaks, leading me through iconic places like the Neptune Staircase and Fort Augustus, where supporters cheered as I refuelled.

Then came Loch Ness. Nothing could prepare me for its vastness: dark, inky waters, steep mountain walls, and weather that shifted in minutes. The waves grew closer, steeper, and rougher until even downwind paddling became nearly impossible. At times, I felt as though I was sliding backwards down the face of every wave rather than moving forward.

It was here, in the midst of the chaos, that a Hercules aircraft circled overhead, banking low through the mountains and sweeping across the loch. In another moment it might have been awe-inspiring, but with my focus locked on staying upright, it felt almost overwhelming — the roar of the engines above, the crash of waves around me, and the relentless drive to keep pushing forward.

When a safety boat appeared in the last quarter, telling me I needed to cross the loch, I had already reached the bottom of my reserves. That crossing felt endless. But then — a checkpoint. Food never tasted so good, and the boost of energy carried me into calmer canals, aches beginning to ease as I found rhythm again.

The finish came under pink skies and autumn colours, a picture-perfect end to a brutal but beautiful journey. Seeing the Welsh flag and my family waiting at the finish line made every moment worthwhile.

This was one of the greatest challenges I have ever faced. Distance is one thing, but the true test is what you go through along the way — how you keep going when your body and mind are screaming to stop. Training can prepare you, but it is the love of family, the encouragement of supporters, and the knowledge that others are out there battling their own journey that carries you through.

Whether it is your very first kilometre on the water or a 92km ultra-endurance paddle, every journey matters. And every stroke takes us closer to the best version of ourselves.

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