... in a bid to raise £10,000!

There are now just weeks before Peters & May Foundation Trustee, Simon Judson takes to the English Channel in his quest to cross via kiteboard! Yes, you read correctly…

Simon will be attempting this tough challenge, alongside good friend and fellow kiteboarder, Wiebbe Bonsink. Expected to take around 4 hours, the pair will depart the shoreline to make the treacherous journey across the Strait of Dover on 24^th August 2019. Certainly not for the faint hearted, Simon is preparing for tough conditions. Strong winds and large waves are expected in the middle of the channel. That’s before you even consider that the English Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, connecting Northern Europe to the rest of the world!

Having enjoyed some kiteboarding in the past, it was the Peters & May Foundation that drove Simon’s decision to push himself in a sport he loved all in aid of charity. Established in 2018, the Peters & May Foundation was born out of a heritage of charitable roots, based on the commitment of Peters & May towards charitable giving. The Peters & May Foundation works closely with charities such as the Breast Unit Charity, Cancer Research and marine education charity Teen Marine.

With 30% of his fundraising target met; Simon, has just a few weeks left to train. As part of his training, he recently went on a kiteboarding holiday, following which he commented “I really hope on the day we have a South-West wind so we can surf from the UK to France. Training on the South-East trade winds around Mauritius, last month was tough on my weaker leg, so I can definitely see us making faster progress is we can surf off our stronger leg.”

It was Richard Branson’s son Sam Branson who set the world record for the fastest crossing of the English Channel by kiteboard back in 2012. His time was 2 hours, 18 minutes and 40 seconds. Simon continued. “We aren’t looking to break any records, as kiteboarders who only have the opportunity to practice in our free time – just getting across the other side will be a massive achievement”.

To follow Simon’s journey across the English Channel and motivate him all the way visit his JustGiving Page and donate. Donations of any size will be greatly received.