RAF engineer takes over EPIC 200-mile kayak in support of his bereaved military stepchildren

RAF engineer takes over EPIC 200-mile kayak in support of his bereaved military stepchildren

04-30-2024

In 2010, 31-year-old Cpl David Jones died of cancer while serving in the RAF. He is survived by his wife Sarah and their two young children, Harry and Luke. Harry was only two years old; Luke was only 14 weeks.

On May 13, their stepfather, Darren Toland – an engineer in the RAF – and two friends kayaked 200 miles along the England-Wales border, from Ellesmere Port on the Wirral all the way to the River Severn. A brutally physical journey that will last 10 days and will test his body to its limits.

And he does it all for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, the charity that has supported Harry and Luke for as long as they can remember.

“I wanted to give something back.”

“The boys were both just babies when their father died.” say Darren. “Sarah’s family and support network were great, but they all lived in Yorkshire and David’s family lived in North Wales, so it was difficult for them to be around as much as they wanted. Then she discovered Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which were absolutely brilliant. From weeklong breaks to something as simple as a card on the boys’ birthdays, Scotty’s supports them through most of their lives. It’s a wonderful thing that this charity does, and I wanted to give something back.”

Darren will not take on the challenge alone. He will be accompanied by two friends: Mark Hennis, with whom he will travel in the tandem kayak, and Steve Brown, who will follow them in a support vehicle.

Darren’s partner, Sarah, says: “When they said they were doing this my first thought was that they’d had a few pints and then they’d wake up and think that was a crazy idea, but then Darren started looking at buying a kayak and all the supplies that go with it. It. After his first training he could barely move his arms, but he got stronger and improved his technique enormously.”

Darren’s partner, Sarah, and stepchildren Luke and Harry

Intensive training for an intense challenge

Mark has already kayaked around England, Scotland and Ireland, but Darren has not been able to tackle a challenge like this before due to work commitments, so this will be his first attempt. It’s guaranteed to be an intense challenge, so Darren and Mark have been training intensively every weekend.

“I’ve never done such a huge, multi-day challenge like this. It’s a little intimidating, but we do some serious training to prepare. Every Saturday and Sunday we go out with the kayak, in the current, to get our bodies used to the prolonged blows. It’s also helpful to figure out how much recovery time you’ll need and how much food and energy you’ll be burning. It will take a long time and it will be painful. The plan is to cover at least 30 kilometers per day, which is a lot in kayaking terms. It’s very hard on your arms, and if there’s no wind or current, four or five miles per hour is considered a strong pace.

Darren and Mark

“I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew.”

Darren’s stepson, Harry, said: “I hope they make it to the end. 200 miles is crazy.” His brother Luke, meanwhile, is desperately looking for a kayak.

And the boys aren’t the only ones cheering Darren on.

“Sarah has been so supportive of the whole thing. The kayak has been in the garden for months, so I think she will be happy when it’s over and she can finally have the garden back! She and Mark’s wife, Naomi, are also giving up their weekends because we’re training and haven’t really been able to do anything as a family for a while. I don’t think everyone necessarily realizes how much dedication and effort it takes to do something like this. I certainly didn’t until we started training, and I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew.

Darren flies a plane

About Scotty’s

Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a military charity dedicated to supporting children and young people (0 to 25 years) who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.

Inspired by the experience of an army widow Nikki Scottafter her husband’s death Corporal Lee Scott in Afghanistan in 2009, the charity, which was established in 2010, provides support and guidance to hundreds of bereaved military children and young people throughout their childhood.

Scotty’s currently serves more than 670 surviving military children and youth. Services offered include access to children’s bereavement support, parent and carer guidance, personalized education and learning support (including grants) and fun activities such as holiday breaks and group events. These are all intended to remind the children and young people supported by Scotty’s that they are not alone.

If you know a child or young person who has experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces, he or she may be eligible for specialist bereavement support from Scotty’s Little Soldiers. Hundreds of grieving military children aren’t getting the support they need, but we’re here to help.

If you know a grieving military child who could benefit from the support of Scotty’s Little Soldiers, please visit our Get support page For more information.

Sarah on holiday with Harry and Luke