Ready, steady, row! Two lecturers from Richmond, The American International University in London, set out in bid for Guinness World Record canoeing attempt

Two lecturers from Richmond, The American International University in London, have hit upon a novel way of cooling down and raising money for a great cause at the same time. Mark Horne, Assistant Professor in Psychology at Richmond and Professor Dominic Alessio are aiming to set a Guinness World Record this week for the fastest canoe journey down the non-tidal Thames.

This means the duo face a 125 mile trip in one canoe from Lechlade in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, to Teddington, near Richmond and they are hoping to complete it in 80 hours.

The record-breaking bid is all in aid of You Touch Africa, a charity which aims to advance the education of disadvantaged children and adults living in Africa.

Professor Dominic Alessio said, “We enjoy teaching students from all over the world at Richmond, and would simply like to help other students achieve their ambitions. We also like canoeing and sporting challenges, so thought we would have fun whilst undertaking a worthy cause.

“We’ve calculated that we’ll be canoeing nearly 125 miles, through 45 locks, possibly some rapids, and passing 157 pubs. The finishing line is Teddington Lock near Ham, so if anyone is around on Friday evening, feel free to pop down there and cheer us on. “

Visit Mark and Dom’s Justgiving page.

About Richmond, The American International University in London: A private, not for profit University which offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees with accreditation in both the USA and UK.  The University is based across two campuses in London, in Richmond and Kensington, with additional sites in Florence, Rome and Leeds. Richmond teaches in the liberal arts tradition which provides students with a broad, multi-disciplinary foundation combined with in-depth study in a specific area of interest.