Paddle surfing pilot ready for marathon trip

An airline pilot from Cornwall is making final preparation for a feat of endurance that will see him cross more than 30 miles of open seas on a stand-up paddle board, run a full marathon and then paddle the 30 miles home.

On Thursday (April 19) Olaus McLeod, 35, will be swapping his day job as a Captain with low fares regional airline Air Southwest to set off from Sennen Cove near Land’s End on a 14-foot surf board using the old Hawaiian and Polynesian technique of paddle surfing.

Around 12 to 15 hours later he expects to arrive at Hell Bay on Bryher, Isles of Scilly, some 30 miles from the mainland. He will then run the 26.2 mile Tresco Marathon on the Scillies on Sunday (April 22) before departing Hell Bay for the return leg to Sennen on Monday.

In total Olaus will cover about 83 miles in what will undoubtedly be a world first.

His trip, which Olaus has called To Hell and Back, hopes to raise more than £2,000 for the RNLI and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, the Tresco Marathon charity. He has set up a website, www.to-hell-and-back.co.uk, where supporters can make online donations and he has already raised £700.

Olaus, who is married to Fiona and has a three and a half-year-old son Angus and a one-year-old daughter Isla, said: “I’ve been training for the last three months including 18 to 20 mile endurance runs and nine-hour, 25-mile paddles to build up my stamina, and have managed to work a six day a week training programme around my pilot commitments for Air Southwest.

“In my day job I fly 50-seater Dash 8-300 aircraft out of Newquay to destinations across the UK and can cover 83 miles in about a quarter of an hour. On the paddle board it’ll take around an hour to go just three miles.”

Olaus, who comes from Hayle in West Cornwall and has been a keen surfer all his life, will be shadowed by a 26-foot support boat during the sea crossings piloted by his friend Duncan Jones, whose Marine Discovery business runs wildlife watching boat trips from Penzance.

During his Herculean paddle board effort he will be sustained by a variety of high energy foods including bananas and energy bars contained in a dry bag mounted on his board, and will use a hydration pack to take on fluid.

Most of his equipment has been donated by a range of local and national companies. Escape have shaped Olaus’ board for the challenge; Reed Chillcheater are providing thermal wear, a drysuit and buoyancy aids; Salomon are providing footwear and running apparel; and Torq are meeting Olaus’ nutritional needs.

Olaus only took up paddle boarding last December. The tradition died out in the 19th century but has recently been revived in Hawaii and California.

He said: “It’s certainly a personal challenge to see if I can do it - but it’s also for two great causes. I also want to raise the profile of the sport. I’m hoping to set up a national paddle boarding club, after the event.”

His biggest challenge will be the wind and ocean currents. Because he will be standing up his body will present a great deal of wind resistance when, on the outward leg he is likely to be paddling into the wind. In contrast, whilst paddling back to Cornwall, hopefully with a tail wind, his body will act like a sail and help speed him home.

“I hope that whatever the outcome of my challenge people all over the South West will support me, and give generously, both to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and to the RNLI,” said Olaus.

“Although I intend giving this challenge my all, at the end of the day it’s not about whether or not I succeed, but about two extremely worthy causes.”

To sponsor Olaus, please use the justgiving links on the front page of To-hell-and-back.co.uk.

You can pay by credit or debit card and the money will go directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and the RNLI. Where supporters are UK taxpayers, the charities will automatically receive 28% extra in Gift Aid, making online payment the most efficient way of sponsoring Olaus.