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“No matter what adventure is next on the horizon I know it will always be followed by or interjected with some bouts of paddling. I love it. It’s such an awesome way to experience nature and utilise the power of water.” Debra Searle

During Debra's university years, where she majored in Outdoor Education, she developed a passion for whitewater kayaking, rock climbing and mountaineering. As captain of the White Water Kayaking Club she co-led expeditions throughout the UK and worked her way through all of her British Canoe Union qualifications up to instructor level. She often put her qualifications and passion to good use by passing them on to younger kayakers, including traveling to Maine to run a Canoe and Kayak department at an American Summer Camp.

After university Debra competed in long-distance kayak race The Exe Decent, then switched to kayak surfing and canoeing. This culminated in an offer from BBC documentary team 'Extreme Lives' to film Debra taking part in one of the worlds longest canoe races – The Yukon River Quest.

The fourth annual Yukon River Quest started in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada on Thursday, June 27, 2002, and travelled across Lake Laberge and down the Yukon River through remote Northern wilderness areas to Dawson City in the Klondike Valley - home of the world's last great gold rush. 31 teams took part from Germany, Ireland, England, Canada, and the U.S.

Debra was joined by a good friend and expert expedition documentary maker Bruce Parry to undertake the grueling event. Bruce has recently achieved huge success with his amazing BBC 2 series 'Tribes'. A taster of the documentary and photos of the race can be viewed by clicking on the links down the right hand side of this page.

These days Debra lives within an hours drive of some great surf beaches in Devon and Cornwall and loves to spend weekends surfing in Polzeath with family and friends. One of the reasons she loves it in the Southwest of England is because there are so many like-minded companies and individuals looking to push the boundaries of extreme sports. One such company is extreme sports clothing and equipment company, Nookie . Debra has been privileged to use Nookie kit for a number of her adventures and is eternally grateful to Nookie founder Will Mattos for selling Debra her first surf kayak!

“Having the chance to take my kayak to the Maldives and surf in water as warm as a bath was one of the best experiences of my life, but Polzeath still takes some beating." Debra Searle

To read Debra's Journal on the Yukon River Quest please CLICK HERE.

YUKON river quest

Paddling

CANOE and Kayak

KAYAK surfing

canoe kayak