Podium Chats: Exclusive interviews with the Devizes to Westminster 2025 Top 3
To wrap up Paddlecast’s coverage of the 125 mile ultra paddling Devizes to Westminster race which was the most competitive year in recent memory, Billy and Betsy sit down with each of the crews who made the podium in the senior doubles race. Each crew shares the highs and lows of their race with surprisingly honest answers. As close as Billy and Betsy were to the race (Billy was racing and Betsy live streamed the event), they had no idea until these conversations just how much the top two crews overcame to earn their podium finishes.Whether you’re an elite paddlesport racer, a schools paddler from the stages race, or just a fan of sports and good stories – this is a long episode but it’s jam-packed with insight from some newly minted DW Legends.#devizestowestminster #ultrapaddling #kayaking #paddling #canoekayak #sportsnews Tom Sharpe and Anoushka Freeman, 1st Place Devizes to Westminster 2025Tom has joined the elite club of “hat trick” three-time (in a row) winners, while Anoushka has become the first woman to win DW twice and one of only three women to ever win the overall race.00:00:46 A strong start: strategic, or just convenient?00:09:16 Overcoming issues with sickness and swims00:14:31 Was the race really as close as it looked? What was the tideway like?00:25:56 Historic firsts: Hat trick for Tom, and Anoushka is the first woman to win two DWs00:27:01 Noushie and Tom’s future race plans00:37:37 Noushie’s DW background starting as a schools crew to winning the race, and advice for any schools paddlers who did DW this yearBrynde Kreft and Joe Petersen, 2nd Place Devizes to Westminster 2025Brynde may be a first-timer at DW, but she put in a level of training and preparation that any 1,000 mile club member would be impressed by. Joe found that his success in marathon racing translated to a top performance in ultra paddling. In the face (or back of the head, as it turned out) of shocking amounts of vomiting, this team pushed through new levels of pain and discomfort to earn second place just four minutes behind the winners.00:41:39 From 8th place to the top00:45:59 Gaining ground00:51:05 Unexpected illness00:56:36 Reaching 1st place at Teddington01:03:17 Future race plansBilly Butler and Jon O’Grady, 3rd Place Devizes to Westminster 2025**with guest host James Prowse Billy and Jon only committed to this year’s DW about two weeks before the big day. But their seemingly short engagement belied their excellent foundations. This crew finished second behind Tom / Anoushka in 2024, but it wasn’t the close race they wanted. On Paddlecast, they revealed that Jon was struck early in the race last year by a serious injury when his paddle hit something large and immovable under water. This year, they were determined to have the race they felt they deserved last year. And that’s exactly what they pulled off.01:07:34 Despite being a late entry, it was a successful race01:10:15 How to adjust to your K2 partner01:11:26 Running strategy for Crofton & Froxfield01:12:47 Multidisciplinary advantage01:16:38 Second time’s the charm01:21:14 Updates from the support crew01:25:43 Hindsight01:33:47 Future race plans01:35:38 Betsy & Billy debrief on the interviews and what’s come to light since, particularly the rampant sickness amongst paddlers that could be related to water pollution: a spectre that may haunt DW for years to come if nothing changesIf you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe to Paddlecast and leave a comment. If Paddlecast isn’t enough paddling chat for you, you can also follow:https://www.instagram.com/paddledailyhttps://paddledaily.comhttps://www.instagram.com/supracerhttps://supracer.comhttps://www.instagram.com/billylikeskayakinghttp://youtube.com/@paddlermedia
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