PADDLEBOARDER Natasha Sones has completed a 161‑mile coast‑to‑coast journey across England using only her stand‑up paddleboard.
The 46‑year‑old mother of three from Suffolk travelled from Liverpool to Goole, following the full length of the 127‑mile Leeds & Liverpool Canal and the 34‑mile Aire & Calder Navigation, in 10 days.
She paddled around 15 miles a day, spending roughly six hours on the water and carrying her board over 91 locks along the route. Fewer than 20 people have completed this coast‑to‑coast canal trail since it opened in 2019.
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Natasha described the journey to BBC News as a bucket list paddle and expressed surprise that so few people attempt it, noting that while towpaths are busy with walkers and cyclists, she saw almost no one else on the water.
She believes many are unnecessarily wary of paddling on canals, emphasising that with proper precautions it is both safe and rewarding.
Natasha was joined by friends Joseph Kemp and Claire Hall on the journey, and at times by Jo Moseley, the first woman to complete the trail in 2019. The group raised £700 for the Canal & River Trust and Surfers Against Sewage.
