Elaine ‘Shooter’ Alexander  who is from Clonavarn - Co. Monaghan  has taken up the challenge to become the first woman from Northern Ireland to circumnavigate Ireland by kayak, left Cranfield Point this morning after being storm bound for two full days.

Now one week since departure from Whitehead Yacht Club on the County Antrim Coast, the small lass from Monaghan has had a tough time of it, paddling through head on winds of up to 30 miles per hour. However in the first five days she made some fantastic progress covering 150 Miles despite the growing swell and sea state as she explains;

“It is important to make progress in the first few days of any expedition to keep the motivation levels up and although I have been forced to dig deep over the first few days, I have now had two days much needed rest. I think the winds are likely to stay the same for the foreseeable future, so I will stock up on energy drinks and make sure I eat my weetabix! It all seems to be uphill at the moment but I am confident that I can continue. Today I jumped another one of the major hurdles – crossing Carlingford Lough. Tidal waters rush though the mouth of Carlingford Lough at up to 5 knots with races, overfalls and rough water extending out beyond Cranfield and Ballagan Points on both the flood and ebb tides. This is a challenging stretch of water suitable for experienced canoeists only and in a wind against tide situation it kicks up a huge sea.”

Elaine’s challenge will involve a solo voyage of 1000 miles battling tides, headlands, cliffs, not to mention unpredictable weather before returning to Whitehead in approximately two months time.  

The motivation for the trip is not only the 1000 mile challenge but also to raise much needed funds for the registered charity – SHARE. In 2011 SHARE based in County Fermanagh will celebrate 30 years of providing outdoor activity programmes which promote the inclusion of disabled & non-disabled people in a wide range of arts, land and water based recreational programmes.  

Elaine has been training and studying hard to ensure she is both mentally and physically prepared for the challenge that lies ahead, as she highlights:

“Last year I paddled around Ulster which took 26 days and prepared me for some of what to expect for this expedition. I have out training at least 3 times a week paddling short distances of about 10 miles with longer coastal trips at the weekend. I have also spent 3 nights a week working on maps, planning the route, rest areas and calculating tides.”

A well-known personality in Irish canoeing circles with recognised pedigree, Elaine has successfully combined a career as an outdoor pursuits instructor at SHARE along with competing in local, national and international canoeing events.  This measure of competence is coupled with a competitive streak which reached its pinnacle in 2005 and 2007 when representing Northern Ireland at the Surf Kayak World Championships in Costa Rica and Mundaka respectively.

It was whilst taking disabled groups canoeing at SHARE that Elaine got her inspiration for this challenge and the target of fundraising £10,000. This money will be allocated towards a fully accessible bus which will ensure further disabled groups will be able to travel and enjoy an outdoor recreation experience on Lough Erne in the future.  Fundraising is of paramount importance to ensure this charity can continue to deliver its much needed work.

Elaine will keep in touch through regular posts, updates and uploads on social networking sites Facebook, Twitter and Youtube and is fundraising through Just Giving with regular blogs and a map on her website which will pinpoint her location on route. All links are available from her website www.canoearoundireland.com
“I have a good team behind me which means that I can concentrate on the trip and ensuring I have all the right equipment and have taken the correct precautions to ensure as safe a journey as possible. The trip would not be possible without help from my sponsors who have supplied me with a boat, safety equipment food rations and promotional items for the journey. It is great to see nearly 1000 followers on facebook and a lot of interaction on posts and tweets so far. I will blog when possible throughout the trip. I would like to a big say thank you to all those that have donated so far and encourage anyone who would like to support this worthy cause to gift-aid donations online through our justgiving page www.justgiving.com/canoe-around-ireland.”

Elaine’s trip has been made possible with generous support from Valley Sea Kayaks, Desperate Measures, Lendal Paddles, North South Marine, River Lake Sea, Yak, Brookbanks Canoes and Kayaks, Signal Signs, Asda Enniskillen, Canoe Association for Northern Ireland and Blackthorn Design.