A former Seascale man has completed a sporting challenge to raise cash for charity.

Adrian Angell, 54, paddle-boarded for 50 miles along the Ohio River to raise money for Diabetes UK, a charity which has helped his niece Megan, who has type One diabetes.

Adrian, who grew up in Seascale before relocating to Cincinnati for work purposes, took nine and a half hours to complete his latest challenge. Previously, he has paddle-boarded across the English Channel and from Fort William to Inverness, raising money for the same cause.

Adrian said: “It was one of my toughest challenges. I had a good start with calm waters and shade. Later the heat of the day, headwind and rougher water from wind and boat wakes made the second half of the paddle hard work.”

He added: “My motivation for all this is to raise money for Diabetes UK and get exposure for the charity. They do great work, including a lot of research into diabetes, and are a huge support for people living with diabetes in the UK.”

Adrian had originally planned to come back to the UK this June and paddle-board a total of 100 miles along the waters of the Lake District, but the Covid-19 pandemic meant he was unable to travel.

He decided to tackle the Ohio River instead – and intends to complete his Lake District challenge at a later date, when restrictions on travel have eased.

Adrian was followed by his friend Jerry Schulte in a support boat, making sure he was safe.

Jerry said: “I’ve known Adrian for a few years now and nothing that he does surprises me, especially on a paddle board.”

Adrian’s affinity with outdoor sports started when he was growing up in Cumbria. His parents were keen climbers and mountaineers. He started water sports in the 1980s, training as a windsurfing instructor before moving into paddle-boarding in 2007.

He has been living in America, where he works as a chemical engineer, since 1995.

He said: “I would like to thank everyone who came out along the route to cheer me on or sent messages of encouragement, and to those who have supported Diabetes UK with donations online.”

Adrian has raised more than £1,000. You can sponsor him here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/adrian-angell3.