ON day 34, Tom Dunn was in a kayak on the Murray River battling strong winds and a ferocious current.
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He described it as like running through quicksand.
"I was broken at the end of the day, I didn't want to be there anymore," he said.
But the next day, Tom did it again. And again.
Until he reached his destination on day 40.
The former Horsham teenager kayaked 2200 kilometres along the Murray River to raise money for Aurora Early Intervention Centre - a Melbourne school for deaf and blind children.
He finished the life-changing journey on Friday.
Tom was inspired by his sister Cate, who was born profoundly deaf.
He said the trip was filled with extreme highs and lows as he battled physical and mental exhaustion.
"I woke up about 6.30am each morning and was on the water by about 8.30am," he said.
"The longer the trip, the more the current dropped off and the longer the days were.
"I would get out of the water about 6pm each night - the last day I was in the water for 11 and a half hours.
"Getting into the boat was harder and harder each day."
Tom said despite the tough conditions, it was worth it.
"I never thought of giving up," he said.
"I had to prove to everyone who said I couldn't do it."
The moment he finally crossed the finish line was exciting and exhausting.
He spent so long in the water the final day that he was too tired to celebrate.
"I could hardly lift my arms above my head," he said.
"I think the highlight of the trip itself is still to come - it'll be the personal benefits that I will discover down the track."
Tom has raised more than $11,000 for Aurora.
He hopes to improve the life of at least two rural children.
He said $6500 was enough for one family to have video conferencing lessons with the school.
"Hopefully we can raise enough to help two families," he said.
"I want these children to no feel restricted by their disability.
"They should have the opportunity to do anything they want - whether that is a garbage truck driver or study medicine at Melbourne University.
"I'm not trying to inspire them to be me and paddle the Murray - I definitely don't recommend they do that. "
Donations will remain open until the end of January and money will be given to Aurora early in the new school year.
Cate stayed in Horsham while Tom was away and helped raise money.
She and her friends are part of Horsham's signing choir and performed at Makers Gallery Christmas Market.
"I didn't know she was going to do that until she called to say she had raised an extra $200," Tom said.
"While I was away, she realised that she had inspired me.
"She doesn't see herself as needing extra help - but that's what makes her inspiring."
Tom said the community support was humbling.
"One lady told me she saw me like a second son and I had never met her before - there is no better compliment than that," he said.
Most donations have come from the Wimmera, but people in the United States and the United Kingdom also donated.
Tom spent six months preparing for the voyage, which he now thinks, in hindsight, wasn't enough.
"I paddled from the Riverside Road bridge to the weir twice," he said.
"I did 2200km on the Murray River and adding in the preparation, I probably travelled 2300km all up.
"If people are planning to paddle the Murray for 40 days, I would definitely recommend more than six months of training."
Tom said the mental preparation was the most important aspect.
"If I didn't do that, I wouldn't have made it," he said.
Tom's family and friends were with him throughout the journey and his friends often joined him on the water for a few hours.
"They provided a real boost, which I didn't realise until after they would leave," he said.
"It was so lonely out there sometimes and you forget people are watching.
"To know that people were supporting me was the biggest motivation."
Tom sums up the journey as being 'enjoyable because it was so unenjoyable'.
"It was good to be hurting each day - it felt like I achieved something," he said.
"I think I learned more about myself in 40 days than I will in 40 years."
Tom has received messages of support from staff and students at Aurora.
"The whole Aurora community, who were strangers to me, have taken me on as family," he said.
"One of the teachers even sent me pictures from her students."
Tom is now getting back to everyday life.
"When I finally got back to Horsham I could've slept on the kitchen floor I was so worn out," he said.
"Now I'm starting to appreciate the comforts in life, tying up loose ends and even got a much-needed haircut."
He said the take-home message was that he wasn't raising money for his own family, but for other children like his sister who would benefit from specialised education.
After seven hours each day in a boat, Tom started thinking about what he could do for his next fundraiser.
"It might not be the last people see of me, although next time I think I would prefer a motorised vehicle," he said.
Tom said people could donate to his Aurora fundraising via bank deposit and all details were on the Kayaking the Murray for Aurora Facebook page.