24 January 2022
A Wellington East adventurer and adrenaline junkie will kayak 2220km solo along the Murray River this February to raise vital awareness and funds for prostate cancer research.
Coorong District Councillor Glynis Taylor knows all too well the impact that cancer can have on local families and is channelling her passion for adventure into helping others.
The 60-year-old will start her solo kayaking journey at Hume Dam on February 1 and continue without a break to the Southern Ocean near Goolwa in South Australia – approximately 2220km away.
Her home for the 7-8 week journey will be a 5.3m sea-going expedition kayak carrying minimal camping and cooking equipment, rations and safety gear.
Cr Taylor said adventure and adrenaline sports like canoeing, kayaking, skiing, mountaineering, skydiving, bungee jumping and scuba diving had been a big part of her life growing up.
“The Mighty Murray Paddle is my way of helping families in my community impacted by cancer,” she said.
“There has been much tragedy in my life – I lost my grandmother to stomach cancer, my step-dad to prostate cancer, my uncle to brain cancer and my mother to pancreatic cancer.
“Now my cousin has been diagnosed with an aggressive prostate cancer that has already metastasised to his liver and bones.
“Both my step-father and my cousin received a terminal diagnosis with no prior history or issues with pain or other health problems, aside from some small urinary symptoms.
“I don’t want men to have to wait for symptoms to appear before seeking intervention. I want to support research into early diagnosis, treatments and care options as a priority which is why I’m doing this challenge for Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.”
Cr Taylor said she has been training for the marathon journey since January 2021.
“I’m more experienced in white water rapids on fast flowing rivers in Britain, rather than expedition kayaking,” she said.
“My longest ever kayak camping trips include the length of Lake Garda in Italy (50km) and Loch Ness in Scotland (35km).
“My longest ocean kayak trip was a mere 18km around Lindisfarne in Northumberland, England, which is why my training in preparation for the Mighty Murray Paddle has been so intensive.”
Cr Taylor said the journey would require peak mental and physical fitness.
“Solo journeys are not for everyone and a journey of this length and magnitude is not for the faint-hearted,” she said.
PCFA CEO Anne Savage commended Glynis for her mammoth commitment to helping locals impacted by prostate cancer.
“We are very grateful to have Glynis’s support, which helps us to fund new research, new specialist nurses, and new awareness activities that benefit men and families in the local area,” Ms Savage said.
“Every 30 minutes one of our fathers or sons will hear the news that he has prostate cancer. Alarmingly, it remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian men.
“We know that many families in South Australia are facing prostate cancer right now and will need special care and support.
“Community action is key to beating it – we know that research and early detection saves lives.
“Our message to men is to know your family history, talk to your GP about screening, and start PSA testing in your 40s if you have a family history, or from age 50 if you don’t.
“We are proud to work with champions in the local community like Glynis to create a world free from prostate cancer.”
To host your own community fundraiser, visit pcfa.org.au.
For information and support, call PCFA on 1800 22 00 99.
ENDS
Media contact: Laura McKoy | M. 0435 094 788
