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Man, 21, Plans To Paddle Board The Mississippi River

By Mike Max, WCCO-TV

MENDOTA HEIGHTS (WCCO) -- A 21-year-old Mendota Heights man is planning on paddle boarding the entire Mississippi River, which will be a world record. He's doing it for a good cause, too.

"I decided I wanted to go down the Mississippi a couple years ago," said Alex Linnell. "I've always wanted to really challenge myself, and this is something, you know, kind of a self-exploration."

Linnell, who plans to raise money for disasters through the Red Cross, will begin his nearly 3-month journey Wednesday.

"If I had my ideal, ideal amount per day ... we're probably going about eight hours a day at we're hoping, at best, 40 miles per day," said Linnell.

Linnell's main concern is navigating the upper part of the Mississippi River because of the debris, the rapids and the higher waters, he said.

However, he is ready to begin what could be a journey of a lifetime.

"I'm really excited about it. It's been a whole kind of rush to get things together," he said.

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