Canoe believe the effort

Mr Dawkins, who undertook the race on behalf of the charity, which funds cancer treatment for children and young adults, finished the 125-mile event in just under 22 hours. 'The race itself was predictably gruelling, but we finished a very creditable 15th out of about 160 crews', said Mr Dawkins, who pulled a muscle in his shoulder halfway through the event. 'Every stroke to the right hurt a lot after that, so I was fairly relieved to reach Westminster Bridge. Three weeks on my shoulder's still pretty sore,' he explained. Mr Dawkins, who practises in London and the south east, said he was pleased with the proceeds from the event, which included a donation from Glenn Tomison, Vision Express director of professional services. 'Sadly the money didn't exactly flood in, but Glenn Tomison was very generous and I'd like to thank him for his contribution,' he said. If anyone would like to make a donation to support the charity, cheques should be made out to 'The Wooden Spoon Society' and sent to Mr Dawkins at 55 Burnaby Gardens, Chiswick, London, W4 3DR.