Paul D’Offay lives in Seychellois, a country comprised of 115 islands 600 miles northeast of Africa in the Indian Ocean.
Although he worked “at sea” half of his 70 years, Paul started canoeing last year after receiving one as a gift. Since then, he has fallen in love with the sport and “can’t get enough of it,” the Seychelles News Agency reported.
This year, he is participating in an event called “Age and Courage for Purpose,” which is being organized by in cooperation with the Seychellois Yachting Association to canoe from island to island to raise money to buy beds for terminally ill patients.
Paul will face a total of four challenges. The first took place in April when he paddled from the main island of Mahe to Praslin, a distance of 26.4 nautical miles, a feat he covered in just over 10 hours.
His second challenge takes him from Mahe to La Digue, a distance of 29.1 miles, on Dec. 11. He hopes to complete that trip in about eight hours.
Paul told the Seychelles News Agency that preparations for the events have been very tough, but he believes he will complete all of it and will still be looking to do similar activities in the future.
“For me, this is a great cause and I am very happy to help with this,” said Paul. “I have no intention of accepting any money for myself, so anyone who wants to sponsor should put the money directly into the donation account.”
The full story can be found at the Seychelles News Agency.
After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.