Charlie is Kayaking 100KM for the Bantry Lifeboat

This summer, I’m attempting a solo kayak ultramarathon–100K in 24 hours–to raise money for The Bantry Lifeboat.

Not only am I a member of the Lifeboat crew, but as a sea kayaker, living on Bantry Bay, I’m well aware that the day may come when I have to call on the Lifeboat for a rescue. I figure it’s a good idea to be on a first-name basis with the folks who might have to fish me out of the Bay.

We are a volunteer search & rescue crew (think volunteer firefighting meets the Coast Guard) supported by donations from the community we serve. Our crew is on call 24/7 in all weather to save lives in our corner of the North Atlantic.

As I told a buddy of mine, "the Lifeboat is the best thing I've ever done!" It's a way to carry on my family's legacy of service and adventure and continue my lifelong education as a seafarer.

Crewed by volunteers, supported by the community

The Lifeboat needs your support to stay afloat!

Our yearly operating costs are around €26,000. We have donation buckets in shops and pubs around Bantry, and we host fundraising swims and other events.

We train on a tight budget and stretch every penny by looking after our equipment, our boat, and each other. Ultimately, community fundraising is what makes our lifesaving work possible.

Anything you can give helps!

The 100K Challenge

The 100K Challenge is a self-timed, unsupported test of extreme endurance hosted remotely by Performance Sea Kayaking.

The rules are simple: Paddle a minimum of 100 Kilometers in 24-hours with no outside support.

I will be tracking my progress with GPS and submitting the metadata for verification and ranking on the challenge leaderboard.

“Crack on!” with Resilient Nutrition

This one-day odyssey/painfest will be fueled by Resilient Nutrition . Their founder, Ali, took the time to walk me through my macros and caloric needs for the challenge and my training leading up to it, selecting the right combo of Long Range Fuel to help me perform at my best and recover quickly.

He estimates I’m going to need roughly 10,000 calories to get through the 24-hour voyage!

Hydration is important too—for that, Resilient hooked me up with a hydration bladder and thermos from Camelbak.

Resilient Nutrition’s unofficial slogan is the perfect mantra for this paddle: “Crack on!”

Follow the adventure on the ‘Gram

You can follow my training on Instagram @dalyprose where I also post photos and videos from the Lifeboat.

On the day of the event, I’ll be checking-in LIVE periodically during my breaks, as 4G reception, battery life, and sea conditions permit. Sometimes it’s too rough for selfies!

Thank you for your support!

Go raibh maith agat!

-Charlie