Fundraising sisters plan channel adventure following canoe success

SISTERS from the dale have smashed their fundraising target after canoeing more than 90 miles for charity.
Tori and Emily Goodall, who are both originally from Bowes, completed the gruelling week-long challenge raising £3,000 for the Stroke Association – trebling their original £1,000 goal.
Last summer, Tori’s father Robert Swinbank, of Streatlam Park, suffered a severe stroke aged just 55. Having made a full recovery, Mr Swinbank’s family wanted to give something back to the charity to acknowledge the work that they do. The pair, along with Tori’s two-year-old Patterdale terrier Scrappy, took to the waters of the Grand Union Canal and the Oxford Canal.
They had originally considered covering the 115 miles from Birmingham to London but they decided to stick to the route from Birmingham to Oxford which also included 115 locks. They carried all of their equipment in a three-man canoe and camped along the way.
Tori, who works as head falconer and runs Walworth Castle Birds of Prey with her partner David Toms, said: “We smashed it – 91 miles in total.
“We had to carry the boat a total of six miles past all the locks. The worst were Hatton locks which are a group of 21 locks in a row over two and a half miles. Scrappy fell in twice but otherwise was a total legend.”
Although the challenge was the first of its kind for both Tori and Emily, they are already thinking about what they might do next.
Tori said: “We would love to say a huge thank you to anyone who has already sponsored us – next plan is the English Channel on a pedalo.”
Anyone who would like to show their support can
still donate online at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Tori-EmilyGoodall.