12,700 km around Australia – Bonnie Hancock

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Covid-19 and the one-by-one cancellation of all cultural and sporting events has challenged some of us. Others are for various projects. Sometimes, as with Bonnie, this loss of freedom drives them towards a search for meaning, dreams of escape and adventure. The young woman saw great things by deciding to paddle around her island. Bonnie is the only Australian… On August 29, 2022, Bonnie paddled her last day to complete the loop, after 12,700 km of ocean travel. The Australian girl was not so lucky. A paddle. A professional ironwoman (coastal rescue) by age 17, Bonnie Hancock has spent most of her life at sea. But this time, the commitment is completely different. Instead of a solo adventure, Bonnie paddled with her support group and Gotch4life, a charity dedicated to mental health.

Bonnie, how did you come up with this crazy plan?

3 years ago I read the book Fearless by Joe Glickman. This is the story of Freya Hofmeister from Germany who paddled around Australia in 2009. After reading this I couldn’t get the idea out of my head and decided to start after six months. It was time to plan.

You’ve had a lot of run-ins with lifeguarding and surfskiing. How is this trip different?

Before moving into surfski racing, I raced in the Kellogg’s Nutricrine Series (professional offshore rescue sports circuit) for 9 years. I discovered surfskating in legendary Molokai in 2018 and then I did the World Championships.

But this time, I couldn’t predict what the sailing day would be like. We often had to change our sailing plans due to sea and wind conditions. For example, 100 km becomes 130 km if the conditions are good enough to spend the night behind an island or a cape. So I had to develop a strong sense of adaptability and learn to go with the “flow” from day to day. Mentally, it took a lot of work for me to follow the instructions of my support team and the team captain.

Can you describe a typical day of your commute?

For the first 6 weeks I suffered a lot from back pain. My body had to adjust to 100 km daily which was very tough in the beginning. I started paddling at 5am with sometimes a meal break after 60km. But the latter was often done while paddling due to lack of time and the need to reach a daylight destination before dark.

My outfit depends on the weather conditions. When it was cold I wore a wickobi neoprene suit, but no matter how hot it got, I always wore gloves and sandals to avoid blisters. I also had a waist belt to protect my back during the trip.

As for food, I had big smoothies in the morning before I got on the water…

Read the full interview in N°263 of Canoë-Kayak magazine

– November issue –

Can you describe in a few words the scenery you encountered on your way?

There’s a video where we see you climbing a boat above the sharks. It is very scary, especially for Europeans! What are your thoughts when you encounter such wild animals and what are they?

“It had a huge impact on my energy and ability to paddle,” you said of the surf. Can you describe in a few words how it affects you?

You were hospitalized after crossing this bay (Great Australian Bight). Can you tell me what happened during these two weeks of paddling between 2 and 5 meters?

The Great Australian Bight looks terrifying… what are your thoughts on 5m for hours?

You’ve also said that fundraising helps you stay motivated, and it’s not just about you. Can you tell us about Gotcha4life and what it means to you?

How much money have you raised on your trip?

where are you today Did you have time to tell us about your trip?

If you had to say one thing to paddlers around the world, what would it be?

Interview and full story in the next issue of Canoe-Kayak Magazine.

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