Pupils from the leading co-educational independent Cokethorpe School completed a gruelling 125-mile canoe race during the Easter weekend.
Four pupils from the Witney-based school finished the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race renowned as as the ‘Canoeist’s Everest.’
The unique annual challenge which starts in Wiltshire and ends in London has taken place over the Easter weekend since 1948. This year it saw the competitors from Cokethorpe complete the endurance challenge across a four-day window, navigating 77 locks in the process.
The mission included three nights of independent camping and early starts including a 3.15am wake-up call to align with the tides. The route included paddling past Windsor Castle and the Houses of Parliament.
Oli Tribble and Josh Rosenow placed 16th overall in the junior category, while Ben Picking and Evie Walker came in at 33rd.
Sarah Squire, Head of Cokethorpe School, said: “Our pupils were utterly amazing and have made not just themselves, but the entire school, proud of their determined efforts.
“The race was a true endurance test of both physical and mental stamina, and everyone involved learned so much about resilience and teamwork.
“What made their achievement more remarkable is that three of them are in Year 11 so are revising for their GCSEs during the Easter holidays, and all four only started kayaking in Year 9 through the school.
“It was fantastic to join the parents, pupils and their families in Marlow to cheer them on. It was a challenge for the parents too, who navigated the route by car to meet the participants at each portage.”
International Canoe Race is organised by the Devizes to Westminster Organisation Ltd, a not-for-profit which charges all competitors a race entry fee to cover the cost of running the event. Paddlers have over the years raised an estimated almost £2 million for charity.
Cokethorpe pupils enjoyed a busy Easter period taking part in various co-curricular activities, including a skiing trip for Prep School children, a rugby weekend in Sedbergh, and sports residential trips to Bournemouth and Cardiff.
It is an independent, co-educational day school for children aged four to 18, located on a beautiful 150-acre parkland site near Witney, Oxfordshire.
Founded in 1957 and becoming co-ed in 1992, it provides a research-informed education in a happy, rural environment, that caters for and celebrates a diverse range of talents.
