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King's Challenge Accepted As Queen Of UK Paddle Boarders Heads To Isle Of Wight

Emily King, one of the UK's longest standing and most successful paddle board athletes, is heading to the Isle of Wight for her latest challenge.

It follows almost a decade of experience in racing stand-up paddle boards at the elite level in the UK and internationally for the current British Stand-up Paddle Board (SUP) Champion.

Emily will be on the Island between May 3 and 11, waiting for a weather window to complete one of her most ambitious endeavours to date.

Over the course of three consecutive days, she will cover 200km, circumnavigating the Island twice, once by paddleboard and once by bike, before running a marathon on the third day.

Emily found refuge in paddle boarding after a vicious dog attack left her with PTSD and agoraphobia. Three years after the attack, Emily left her old life behind and moved across the country to Swansea:

“I felt I had to get away, to go and find myself. Having a massive fear of being outside and near dogs, I was recommended surfing because they don’t really go out into the waves.

“It absolutely challenged me. I finally had something that connected with me — it was mindful, it pushed the post-traumatic stress back from me and I was living in the moment”

Emily will be accompanied by Island based endurance SUP athlete and mental health advocate - Charlie Head.

She aims to raise £2,500 for the Isle of Wight Youth Trust to provide mental health and wellbeing counselling to Islanders aged 4-25.

Donations are being accepted online.

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