A pair of university students have become the youngest team to finish an exhausting 1,000-mile waterway challenge, completing the course in memory of their grandparents while raising funds for two charitable causes.
Oliver Smee, aged 20 and originating from Henley-on-Thames, alongside Benjamin Watkins, also 20 and from Bourne End, took part in the Yukon 1000 ultra-endurance event.
The undertaking honoured their grandmothers and grandfathers, who they described as having played formative roles in their upbringings.
Approximately £13,000 has been gathered for the selected beneficiaries thus far.
The beneficiaries were Sue Ryder and Race Against Dementia.
Smee selected Sue Ryder following the care provided to his grandmother Bridget at Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire during September 2025, and the end-of-life assistance the organisation gave his grandfather Peter in the concluding days of 2025.
Watkins chose Race Against Dementia to recognise his grandmother, who is currently living with the condition.
The expedition required substantial preparation.
The duo undertook water-based training four days weekly alongside gym sessions on two additional days each week.
The route commenced in Whitehorse, Canada, and followed the Yukon River through the Canadian Yukon territory, concluding at the Dalton Highway Bridge in Alaska.
The course presented considerable difficulty throughout.
According to Watkins, the experience constituted the most demanding physical undertaking either participant had encountered, with particular severity on the sixth day when they encountered a storm featuring 70mph winds within the Arctic region.
Despite wearing five layers of clothing, maintaining adequate warmth proved nearly impossible under those circumstances.
Smee reported that reaching the finish line left him exhausted and overwhelmed with emotion when considering his grandparents, while simultaneously experiencing profound satisfaction regarding everything accomplished during the paddling challenge.
Watkins recalled a particular interlude of serenity amid the ordeal.
He noted that at one stage, two swallows appeared to glide above their vessel for approximately an hour.
The pair observed them quietly, and the scene prompted reflection on their grandparents, representing a moment of genuine calm within an otherwise demanding competition.
For Smee, the most memorable aspect involved the river’s stillness, particularly during late evening hours.
He described the sunsets shimmering across the water as an unforgettable sight.
Lizzy Chenery, regional fundraiser at Sue Ryder, expressed admiration for the pair’s accomplishment, describing them as determined and courageous individuals whose fundraising and awareness-raising efforts were deeply appreciated by the charity.