500 mile kayak challenge

Stuck in a rut? Bogged down by the daily grind? Time to do something completely different? Why not get involved in an incredible escapade by joining two serial adventurers in The Spare Seat…

The Spare Seat is the brainchild of Briton Richard Harpham and American Glenn Charles who have between them covered over 17,000 human-powered miles by kayak, canoe and bike. They have a passion for inspiring young people and communities through their challenges. With The Spare Seat they are giving random people the chance to join them for a day on their next kayaking adventure. “We hope that this will inspire a great many people to explore their dreams, adventures and possibilities in their lives. Part of the intrigue of the Spare Seat is who will join, what will their stories be and how the entire story will end”.

The New York State Spare Seat kayak expedition is an epic journey of over 500 miles across New York State from Niagara Falls to the Statue of Liberty finishing on the 125th anniversary of its construction. The team will explore and absorb the heritage, culture, wildlife and iconic locations along the route such as the UNESCO World Heritage site Erie Canal with its 36 locks before reaching Albany and joining the Hudson River for a paddle south to Manhattan and eventually the Statue of Liberty.

Two lucky competition winners will join the team for three days on the water in The Spare Seat in each double kayak and also win a city break in the ‘Big Apple’. The once in a lifetime prize is courtesy of New York State Division of Tourism, Delta Airlines and Travelbag. There are also a host of other fantastic runners up prizes including Vango rucksacks, Paramo Clothing, Olympus Cameras and even a day paddling in the UK for four with canoetrails.co.uk.

People from all different walks of life and communities are invited to try their hand at entering and, if successful, will share their stories and experiences on film and an interview with Inspired Life. And, if it’s inspiration you need, Richard and Glenn will happily share their vivid life histories. Richard has completed 5,000 miles of human power, kayaking, canoeing and cycling. He has kayaked The Inside Passage (Seattle to Alaska), canoed the Yukon River and kayaked and cycled from London to Marrakech via Gibraltar’s very own Ocean Village. Richard also managed the Ghana Ski Team to the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Meanwhile Glenn is a professional photographer and has completed almost 9,000 miles of human power sea kayaking including also The Inside Passage, the Eastern Sea Board and he has cycled around North America. He has been giving talks and inspiring communities through his adventures.

Winners will need to be available to join the expedition between 18 and 20 October 2011 followed by two nights in New York City. The closing date for entries is 1 October 2011. To find out about all the prizes, terms and conditions visit www.thespareseat.com