Dan Holloway, and his rowing partner, Nick Spicer, have completed the world-famous Yukon 1000 race and finished 4^th in class, and 7^th overall!

“Crossing the finish line at Dalton Highway I felt a mix of pure elation and relief,” said Dan.

“The race is absolutely brutal, it is 1,000 miles along a beautiful river, but after paddling for 18 hours a day for 7 days, with the weather varying from torrential rain, electrical storms, to searing heat and the light reflecting off the water it starts to wear you down physically and emotionally. During the darker moments during the race, when we thought about withdrawing, bodies hurting, hands blistering, we were motivated by the thought of the love and support from our families, friends, and for the charities that we were supporting, the power of purpose can push you past the impossible. 1,000 miles is a huge amount and almost too much to comprehend, so we split the race down into manageable sections, set goals, and just made one paddle stroke after stroke.

“There were highlights along the way as well, such as seeing a black bear swimming in front of us, the incredible scenery, surviving the 5 Finger Rapids, deepening my friendship with my race partner Nick, and most importantly meeting all the incredible competitors from around the world. Thank you to all for their advice and moral support along the way.

Dan added that, “YPI is an incredible charity, doing wonderful things to support the young people of Basingstoke and Deane. Over my four-year involvement in the charity so far, I have seen the amazing work that the counsellors deliver and I know that everything we raise on this challenge directly supports the improvement of young peoples’ lives.

“It’s now time to reflect on the event, spend time with my incredibly patient family, and to do a final push on fundraising for YPI Counselling.”

YPI Counselling based in Basingstoke town center, supports hundreds of young people aged 11-25 years old in the Basingstoke and Deane area with their mental health and wellbeing through counselling and mentoring services that are provided free of charge.

To donate please visit:

https://tinyurl.com/fftbypi Watch stunning footage of all the participating teams and find out more information about the race on https://linktr.ee/yukon1000