Hi everyone! My name is Rhys Hibbert and I am a 19 year old with a big dream to complete the Hawkesbury Classic and raise $10,000 for Arrow Foundation.

This is my third time entering the Hawkesbury Classic, which is a 100km kayak down the Hawkesbury River.

The first time I entered the Classic was when I was 17, paddling with my Dad. However, due to our inexperience (and the fact that we used a recreational 25kg kayak - I know excuses excuses!) that year we only made it to Wisemen's Ferry (67km). To put it lightly, I was really annoyed that I didn't complete all 100kms. If you want to witness the story of how I attempted to complete the 100km overnight paddle with no experience and understanding about the difference between stable and fast kayaks (it's fairly important, who would have known?) see my video below!

In 2025, fuelled by my aforementioned disappointment and a year of training (plus a fast, 14kg kayak. Very important to mention) I managed to achieve my goal and kayak the entire length! Throughout the classic I remember constantly thinking "this is awful, why am I doing this to myself" yet at the end of the classic, when I finally felt solid ground, I thought to myself "can't wait until next year." 

And so I am back to achieve two missons: 1. To improve my race time from 14 hours 41 minutes to hopefully around 13 hours. 2. To smash my fundraising record from last year (around $1,200), with my goal being to raise around $10 000. Quite the jump I know, but I will try my very best!

The Hawkesbury Classic is very close to my heart as it raises funds for Arrow Foundation, a charity which helps fund cutting edge research into stem cells. Why do I care about stem cells? I care because when I was 18 months old I was diagnosed with a blood cancer called acute myeloid leukaemia. If my 6 months of chemotherapy hadn't worked, I would have needed a stem cell transplant. However, I did not have a stem cell match so accessing this treatment would have been impossible. Many cancer patients aren't as lucky as I was and need a stem cell transplant, with many not having a match sadly. Arrow's research is changing this.

I would be very grateful if you share the link to this CrowdRaiser page with your friends and family. The more people who help the better!

Thank you for reading this! :)

If you want to learn more about me and follow my training arc, visit my Instagram @rhysdonateforlife or check out my website: www.donatefor.life