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STEVE BACKSHALL INTERVIEW: DEVIZES TO WESTMINSTER

Steve Backshall is a naturalist, explorer, presenter and writer, best known for BBC TV's 'Deadly...' franchise.

A keen outdoorsman who has competed in a host of endurance events from ultramarathons to long distance treks, Steve first took on the Devizes to Westminster in 2017 assisted by his wife Helen Glover.

TD: How and why did you first get involved in Devizes to Westminster?

The first time I took on DW I’d had a serious rock climbing accident which meant my budding career as an ultra endurance runner was cut short. I needed a challenge that had less running and DW was it!

TD: What is your proudest moment from DW?

My proudest moment was winning the mixed race with my wife Helen. We also raised £350,000 for our charity The World Land Trust on that race, which was an incredibly satisfying conclusion!

TD: What was your hardest moment from DW?

The hardest moment was on the first attempt. I was with my best friend Stuart, and at the halfway point in Marlow we stopped and had a riverside hot three course meal, and a hot shower! We thought the luxury would be great for morale, but 20 mins later, we got super cold, and were paddling off in the darkness with nothing left to look forward to and 60 miles still to do. It was a reminder that actually the best thing to do is just keep moving and never properly stop.

TD: What is it about DW that stands out as an event?

The thing that makes DW stand out as an event is how anonymous it is. Amongst the global paddling community it is up there with the Dusi as one of the best and hardest endurance paddle races on earth. Yet you set out quietly from Devizes without fanfare and arrive in Westminster to not much more. Kayaking through Reading town centre on a busy Saturday night full of drunken partygoers who don't even realise you're there is one of the most surreal things you'll ever do.

TD: What advice would you give to someone taking on DW for the first time?

My best advice would be to train really hard, but not long. Keep sessions under two hours, do as much of the canal and river as possible so it’s familiar in the small hours when you’re knackered. Do some but not all of the Thameside and waterside series and do not use anything on the race (from clothing to food choices) you haven’t used over and again in training.

If you're a first time paddler then join a club. They'll give you advice, logistics, and maybe even help with a support team (so essential) train with them as often as possible, and train portaging and fueling as much as you do paddling.

Endeavour