Brave Carolyn's ‘amazing’ achievement in spite of pulling out of 50k paddle board challenge

Phil and Carolyn battling on along the 50k route.

It was not the outcome she had hoped for, but a Lincolnshire paddle boarder with a life-threatening illness is still being hailed ‘amazing’ by those who support her.

Brave Carolyn Smith and her paddle board instructor best friend Phil May were back on the water at the weekend for a 50k marathon along the River Witham from Lincoln to Boston.

Phil completed the challenge, finishing at Boston Rowing Club. however Carolyn was forced to pull out at Langrick Bridge after facing tough conditions along the way.

A post on her Facebook page, Ramblings of a Broken Hiker, explained: “Great effort from Carolyn – unfortunately, it was not meant to be this year.”

Tough going at Tattershall Bridge, but the pair battle on.

Carolyn, of Burgh le Marsh, later posted: “I’m so sorry I let you down.

"Thank you everyone for your support.

"Phil finished which was absolutely amazing.”

Their endurance campaign aims to raise £2,000 for Annabelle's Challenge – a charity for people like Carolyn with vascular ehlers danlos syndrome (eds) – and the RNLI. At the time of going to press, her Broken Hiker Challenge 2023 JustGiving page had reached £900.

The weed in the River Witham which again proved a problem.

This was the fourth time the pair had tackled the challenge together – the last one in 2021 was also gruelling for Carolyn, who had to overcome a broken board as well as a lot of weed in the River Witham.

Ahead of the challenge, Carolyn explained why – with the help of Phil, founder of Yellowbelly SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding) in Anton’s Gowt – she was determined to risk her life to raise awareness and funds for vascular eds research.

“I’m living with the ticking time bomb,” Carolyn, of Burgh le Marsh, said. “My brother also has vascular eds and in May 2021 my dad died from the disease.

"In the UK there is around 330 of us diagnosed with veds – we are rare and there is no cure.”

Since Carolyn pulled out, messages of support have flooded in.

Among them, Carole Smith said: “So unbelievably proud of them both. So so gruelling for them this year.”

Paul Mitchell agreed: “Absolutely great work – much further than I could paddle and that would be without the wind and a river full of weed! You should feel insanely proud.”

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