Pair attempt River Thames tandem paddleboard world record

A reformed criminal and a paramedic have teamed up to try to break a world record for tandem paddleboarding.

Former city trader and prisoner David Haze set off on the 129-mile (208km) journey down the River Thames with paramedic Joe Cartwright at 06:00 BST.

The route, from Lechlade in Gloucestershire to Teddington in south London, needs to be covered in under 55 hours for the record to be broken.

The pair are raising money for mental health charity The OLLIE Foundation.

Mr Haze, from Bournemouth, turned to a life of crime and cocaine after losing his finance job in London.

Following his release from HMP Guys Marsh in Dorset in April 2020, he began taking on a series of sporting challenges.

Mr Haze already has eight world records under his belt, and broke the world record for the fastest time to paddleboard across the River Thames solo in 2021.

He said: "I always wanted to go for the tandem as well, but I never found a worthy partner until I met Joe."

Joe Cartwright, a paramedic from Bedfordshire, started paddleboarding in 2019, after experiencing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when several of his friends took their own lives.

He believes suicide awareness is a "taboo subject" that "many don't talk about".

"I found paddle boarding was instant relief for my mental health," said Mr Cartwright.

The pair have two GPS trackers and a logbook they have to update, as well as needing witness statements in order for the record to be officially recognised.

Mr Haze said the challenge the pair were taking on is "more about mental capability than physical capability."

"Joe and I are confident paddleboarders, but 55 hours of paddleboarding really plays havoc with your mind," he added.

"I've been in some dark places when I'm paddleboarding so it's going to be a real test for us."

The pair hope to finish by lunchtime on Wednesday.

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