"One man, one kayak, 2,400 kms along Australia's longest river.... raising funds for The Cancer Council"

Kayak4Life from Little Apple Media on Vimeo.

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*** Due to the recent heavy rains, extensive flood damage along several parts of the Murray River & under advice from the Maritime Authorities, I have to unfortunately postpone my planned starting date until Saturday 21st April 2012 ***

In late April 2012, I plan to begin a challenging 2,400km solo paddle of the Murray River in a Salamander kayak. This journey will begin at Biggara, Victoria & end at the Murray Rivers mouth at Lake Alexandrina, South Australia. This journey will take me through 3 states of Australia. I plan to be largely self supporting & hence will carry everything I need to eat & sleep onboard my kayak.

I plan to start my journey on Saturday 21st April 2012 & finish Sunday 29th July 2012. I predict the journey to take me approximately 100 days - this includes kayaking between 30-50kms per day. I will spend most nights camping on the banks of the Murray River. I will be carrying all my gear with me, with enough food & supplies for 7 days, depending on how far I am between Murray River townships.

This journey will be in honour of my late father who passed away earlier last year due to an 18-month long struggle with pancreatic cancer & it will also be in rememberance of all those who have unfortunately lost their lives to cancer. I will be aiming to raise awareness & funds for much needed cancer research through The Cancer Council.

 

Cancer In Australia

• 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop cancer before the age of 85.
• An estimated 111,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Australia in 2011.
• About 434,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer (the most frequently occurring cancer in Australia, but the least life-threatening) are also diagnosed each year.
• Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia – more than 42,000 people are expected to die from cancer this year.
• The survival rate for many common cancers has increased by more than 30 per cent in the past two decades.
• Cancer costs $2.7 billion in direct health system costs (5.7% of total healthcare expenditure).

Cancer Council

Cancer Council NSW is a community funded, community focused cancer charity dedicated to the defeat of cancer.
Through the development of prevention strategies, research into new treatments and cures, and by providing clinical and emotional support to those affected by cancer, we work towards realising our vision of a society where lives are not cut short by or their quality diminished by cancer.
We have the broadest reach of any cancer organisation in New South Wales and have been a trusted cancer charity for more than 50 years.
Here is a short snapshot of some ways we work to defeat cancer:

• Around 1 in 2 people in NSW will develop cancer in their lifetime. This year alone, more than 39,000 people in NSW will be diagnosed with cancer.
• We receive no direct government funding for our various programs, and we rely on the ongoing and generous donations from the community to fund our work. We have received NSW Health and the National Health and Medical Research Council funding for some specific projects (less than 2% in 07/08).
• Our total research expenditure for 2008 was more than $13 million. We committed $8.5 million to new external research, comprising 18 Project Grants and 3 Strategic Research Partnership Grants.
• The experienced oncology nurses on our Helpline respond to around 20,000 calls each year seeking information about cancer, its treatment and effects
• We provide around 225,000 Understanding Cancer booklets on 40 different topics to hospitals, treatment centres, libraries and cancer patients and their families annually.
• More than 2,000 volunteers work with Cancer Council NSW in our mission to defeat cancer. Many thousands more supporters volunteer for events such as Daffodil Day. The latest volunteer satisfaction survey showed that 97% of our volunteers derive a sense of accomplishment from their role with Cancer Council.
• More than 10 per cent of adults in NSW participate in our population-based research projects, providing information about their lifestyle and needs.
• We work with community organisations and transport providers, providing funding for free daily shuttle services between home and the nearest treatment centre for patients and carers. Last year, we funded more than 300,000 patient transport kilometres, including in regional areas of NSW.
• More than 400 people in NSW are now trained as advocates. Last year, advocates made 138 face-to-face and 598 written submissions to parliamentarians regarding cancer control issues.
• Our Cancer Council Connect service put more than 630 cancer patients in touch with trained volunteers who have had a similar cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• More than 700 childcare services in the state have qualified as Cancer Council SunSmart. This program supports childcare services to develop and implement a sun protection policy that reduces children's exposure to UV radiation and reduces the risk of skin cancer.