An epic kayak challenge spanning the entire coast of Cornwall has reached Falmouth.

Behind it is Oscar Matthews, who set out on the 350km kayak charity trip on Wednesday from Cawsands in Plymouth.

He aims to kayak around Cornwall via St Mawes, Falmouth, Land’s End, Lizard and Port Isaac to eventually reach Welcombe Beach on the Atlantic Coast, just north of Bude.

On Friday Oscar landed at Maenporth beach in Falmouth, with a storm on his tail, where he stayed last night before setting off again today – having already kayaked some 81km in three days.

Over the course of the challenge he hopes to raise £20,000 for The Sophie Fitzpatrick Charitable Foundation for Rare Cancers (the Foundation), set up in memory of his mother.

Sophie died in May 2023 of goblet cell carcinoma (GCC), an extremely rare cancer that only occurs in around one in five million people.

Oscar said: “Throughout her life, Ma radiated selflessness and kindness. She possessed an unwavering spirit of empathy, always ready to lend a listening ear or offer a helping hand to those in need.

“But Ma was also very practical and I’m sure she would approve of me embarking on this journey to raise funds for the Foundation to support those diagnosed with rare cancers like hers.

“Goblet cell carcinoma attracts less attention from researchers than the big cancer killers but is no less devasting in its impact on the individual and the loved ones that are left behind.

“I sincerely hope that the funds I raise on my kayak around Cornwall and its beautiful coasts my mother loved, will contribute to helping others suffering from these life-destroying diseases.”

Oscar’s journey will cover some 350 km, taking an estimated ten days. He has been training in pools and on the River Thames in London, with his longest kayaking session to date being 8km.

“He aims, weather permitting, to paddle some 35 km per day, battling the vagaries of the Cornish elements and the Atlantic Ocean.

A particularly poignant moment will be when he reaches Crackington Haven, near the end of his journey, southwest of Bude on the north Cornish coast. This is the coastal village which Sophie made her home, and where she is buried half a mile away in the local graveyard of the Church of Saint Genesius on a sloping site in the hamlet of St Gennys.

Sophie was diagnosed with GCC during the Covid-19 pandemic just after the first lockdown ended in June 2020. During her treatment she discovered that research and knowledge about her disease was very scarce.

The prognosis for GCC Is very poor with just a five-year survival rate of 18% if, as in Sophie’s case, the cancer has metastasised.

The Sophie Charitable Fitzpatrick Foundation, set up in her memory, has so far raised £75,000 with the aim of supporting people with rare cancers by aiding access to trials, consultants and other support groups with grants specifically designed to enable them to focus on recovery.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/oscarkayaksthecornishcoast