Avon Descent: Team from Baskerville makes it a family affair

THE LIDDLE family from Baskerville will take part in the Avon Descent this weekend and have turned the annual event into a family affair.

Husband-and-wife team Peter and Jane and their two children, Baillie and Michael, have taken part in the event for the past four years.

Mrs Liddle said she and her husband first took part in the event in 2013 as a team of two, before their children were also drawn to the white-water race.

She will be racing this year in a team of four raising money to build an orphanage in Zambia, while Peter and Michael will race in a double kayak and Baillie will tackle the 125km race solo.

“It took a few years to feel confident while in the water, but now I love it and we’re on the water three or four times a week,” she said.

“It’s so much fun and keeps you so fit and gives you a chance to see parts of the Swan Valley you can’t see unless you’re paddling.”

Mrs Liddle said this year’s race was shaping up to be a good one, with decent rainfall to boost the height of the river.

“We are thrilled that it’s started to rain,” she said.

“The higher water levels will make the race faster and safer for all competitors.”

The 44th Avon Descent will begin on Saturday morning in Northam and finish on Sunday in Bayswater.

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