A PAIR of teachers, inspired by a six-year-old boy who is preparing for a life-changing operation, will be competing in a gruelling 125mile canoe race this weekend.

Brad Nash, who is head of year 10 at the Federation of Glenmoor and Winton Arts and Media College in Bournemouth, and Ed Long, who teaches at Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester, signed up to the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race to raise funds for the Operation Elliot appeal.

The appeal was set up last year to raise the £66,300 needed to fund an operation for Elliot Gower, who has cerebral palsy. It’s hoped the treatment will enable the youngster, who lives in Southbourne, to walk completely unaided for the first time.

“We heard about the appeal and started thinking of things we could do to raise money,” Mr Long explained.

“We wanted it to be a difficult challenge, something that not many people have done and something involving watersports.”

The pair, who are both aged 33, will be competing against around 200 other teams and will be paddling non-stop for around 22 hours before reaching the finish line at Westminster.

Only 50 per cent of the teams finish.

 

MORE than £55,600 has so far been raised to fund Elliot’s operation. Anyone wishing to sponsor Mr Long and Mr Nash can donate by visiting www.justgiving.de/EdandBradDW2014 or text DWED50 and the amount you wish to donate to 70070.
“We’ve already raised £1,000 but we’re hoping to double that,” Mr Long said.
To find out more about the Operation Elliot appeal go to www.justgiving.com/
operationelliot