PADDLING with a purpose, a young man was heading for Felixstowe today alone in a kayak – on a 3,000-mile adventure in memory of his brother.Simon Osborne, 22, is spending four months in his kayak travelling around the whole coast of Britain to raise money for research into leukaemia.

PADDLING with a purpose, a young man was heading for Felixstowe today alone in a kayak – on a 3,000-mile adventure in memory of his brother.

Simon Osborne, 22, is spending four months in his kayak travelling around the whole coast of Britain to raise money for research into leukaemia.

He is hoping to raise up to £20,000 in memory of his brother Mark, who died from the disease at the age of just 13 in 1989.

Simon, who recently completed a degree in environmental earth science at the University of Wales, said: "Losing my brother has given me a huge amount of motivation – I promised myself that I would do all I could to raise as much money as I could for the Leukaemia Research Fund.

"I only have to think about what he went through to put the size of my challenge into perspective.

"Mark was a keen kayaker and thoroughly enjoyed trips to the Ardeche in France and to Scotland.

"What better way for me therefore to raise money for the LRF than by kayaking around the UK."

Simon, who lives in Shrewsbury, set off on his journey in May, and today was paddling from Southwold to Felixstowe. People can donate to his fund via his website.

Each year more than 21,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with leukaemia, lymphoma or one of the related diseases. The LRF is the only UK national charity devoted exclusively to finding cures, improving treatments and investigating the cause of the diseases.

WEBLINKS: www.kayakingforcancer.co.uk

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