Dougal’s Surf Ski Adventure

August 2021 saw twenty-two-year-old Dougal Glaisher setting out on his surf ski adventure. But compared to the usual paddle, his plan was very different - Dougal’s expedition had no organised route, and no final destination. His aim was to travel freely, wherever he wanted without any time restrictions. Even Dougal didn’t know how long he would be paddling for!

Fast forward one year, and Dougal is still going. He has travelled more than 400kms around Europe, travelling to many destinations such as Italy, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, and to France where he will complete yet another challenge – the insulin360 challenge. As Dougal states, he will ‘let the sea decide’, a phrase which has come to life in this liberating journey.

Dougal took on the surf ski voyage to raise as much money as possible for ‘Action 4 Diabetes’, a charity that provides medical help for children in South-East Asia with type one diabetes. Action 4 Diabetes aims to deliver quality healthcare for children in deprived communities, those who struggle most to receive this care. The charity’s aim is to empower and improve the lives of these vulnerable individuals through education and by providing them with their essential medical needs.

This charity is specifically important to Dougal due to his own personal battle with type one diabetes. In September 2019, Dougal was diagnosed with the disease which he has had to live with every single day. However, Dougal has made something positive out of this, proving that despite his condition, Dougal can achieve anything he wants too!

So far, this difficult expedition that Dougal is tackling has raised over £4500 on his JustGiving page and he continues to raise significant awareness around the disease.

Geo Tracks is supporting this event, providing a tracker free of charge. Using the live tracking map on Dougal’s website, the public have been able to view Dougal’s progress, and can observe the incredible places that he travels to and is also useful for ensuring safety. As there is no fixed route and no definite timings for Dougal’s adventure through his short-term planning approach, this GPS technology is extra useful. Also, viewing his location using the map is extremely exciting due to the unpredictability of his paddle!

Dougal’s unique challenge is very admirable – he is using his own love for adventure and experiences to raise money and raise awareness for such an important cause. Well done, Dougal!