Woman sets out to finish brother's kayak challenge

Katie Carr is attempting to finish her brother's kayaking challenge, having already finished his book

The sister of a man who died before he could finish a kayaking challenge, is attempting to complete his target of visiting all areas named in the shipping forecast.

Toby Carr from Cornwall started his attempt to kayak to the 31 areas but died aged 40 in 2022 with liver cancer.

His sister Katie Carr has now set about kayaking the 10 remaining areas.

She said: "I'm a beginner so this is very exciting... it's also scary and frightening but it's an adventure too."

The mother of two has now kayaked to the areas around the Wales coast, and is doing the challenge in her brother's kayak.

Toby Carr was a university lecturer in Falmouth and an accomplished sea kayaker

"The next stop is going to be Ireland, and doing all the Irish Sea areas that he never got to. I'm having to learn as I go along," she said.

Toby Carr was born with a rare genetic disease Fanconi anaemia - which affects around one in two million people.

People with Fanconi anaemia who live past childhood are more pre-disposed to die of cancer.

His brother Marcus also had the condition, but not his sister Katie.

The Carr family would often hear the shipping forecast on the radio

In 2017 Marcus died aged 38, after which Toby came up with the shipping forecast challenge as a way of coping with the grief.

Mrs Carr has also finished a book her brother had commissioned about the adventure, called Moderate Becoming Good Later.

She has used notes, voice recordings and videos her brother left, along with knowledge picked up in their conversations.

Tony Carr visited 21 of the 31 areas before he died in 2022

She said: "He would just be delighted that his story is going to be told and that people can be inspired to get outside and to get in a kayak, to go and explore, to even think ok, I've got a life-limiting illness what can I do within those limits and I think he'd just be delighted.

"I had to go back and plot his journey on Google maps to write the book, I even had to know what he had for lunch, it was like being a detective but it was also very emotional for me.'

"Toby's journey and his adventure also became mine, he didn't know that was going to happen but I think he'd be really proud of me."

Toby never knew she would complete the book or the challenge. She said she thought it would take her two years to finish the adventure.

The shipping forecast divides the waters around the UK into 31 areas, and is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 four times a day.

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