BROTHERS WATER SKIING AGAINST CANCER TAKE A SHORT BREAK IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

Sean and Brenton McGrath had a rough morning Thursday. The Mighty Mississippi under their skis was choppy from barge traffic and filled with debris, and the emotional toll of an 1,800 mile journey was beginning to show.

The McGrath brothers from Queensland, Australia, are skiing down the Mississippi River as a fund-raising effort for cancer survivors. A friend, Neville Wilson, was supposed to be making the journey with them but died from stomach cancer in January. Now, his wife is traveling with the pair.

The water was "just pounding them all the time," said Shelley Wilson, who rode in the 28-foot ski boat pulling the brothers from St. Louis, Mo., to Cape Girardeau. "It was tough on the guys because he should have been out there," she said of her husband.

About 30 people, including a crew traveling with the Mississippi Challenge team, greeted the brothers with cheers and applause Thursday at Honker's Boat Club near Water and Main streets.

The ski boats arrived just after 10 a.m., almost 90 minutes later than first expected. High waters and frequent wakes from passing barges have hampered river travel, crew members said. The next stop was New Madrid then Osceola, Ark., and into Memphis for an overnight stay.

The trip ends Saturday in New Orleans at the Gulf of Mexico. Some of Neville Wilson's ashes were scattered at the start of the journey and the rest will be scattered at the end of the trip.

The longest stretch of the trip -- 403 miles from St. Louis, Mo., to Memphis, Tenn. -- also turned out to be the most emotionally anguishing part of the journey.

The segment was bittersweet because Neville liked to ski the long stretches of river, Wilson said.

Sean McGrath broke into tears when he stepped out of the boat at the Honker's dock. He was hugged by a younger brother, Tim, who has been alternately driving the ski boats.

As Brenton talked about his "best mate" and neighbor, Neville Wilson, with a television crew, he, too, broke into tears. Shelley Wilson, standing nearby, wiped tears from her eyes.

Neville, before he died, offered some sound advice. "He said you should enjoy every little bit of life," Brenton said. And that's exactly what he has been doing since his leukemia went into remission six years ago.

"I came out of remission with a great feeling that I've got to fulfill my dreams," Brenton said. "I've got to live life to the fullest. This shows you can live a great life again."

The brothers and Wilson, skied the Murray River in Australia -- the country's longest at 1,300 miles -- in 1996. That trip was difficult because they all worried so much about making it to the end that they didn't have fun along the way, Brenton McGrath said.

On this journey, "we've probably been a bit naive," Sean McGrath said. The brothers have been training and planning the trip for four years. They started with weight training three times a week and then added cycling and running to build up leg strength. They tried to ski as much as possible and build up time on the water, he said.

The logistics of planning a trip down the Mississippi took almost as long as the physical training. It took several weeks to get all the necessary permits and plan the route. The ski schedule took 75 hours to draft and has been through six revisions.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard admitted the request to ski the Mississippi River was unusual but permits were issued, said Pete Schenck, logistics coordinator.

"Their reaction was, 'You're nuts,'" Schenk said, "But finally we did find somebody who would issue the permits and wish us Godspeed."

Sometimes the boats can travel at 55 mph, other times they have to slow down through no-wake zones or locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi River. "We looked at charts and asked 'Could we go 70 mph on this leg or would we be limited to 45?'" said Schenck.

When the trip was originally planned, much of the river was in a drought phase so the water was lower. Now "we've been seriously hampered by high waters," Schenck said.

In some areas, the boats have had to move farther north to put into the water because ramps weren't accessible. In other cases, "we've had to do some fancy gymnastics with the boats," he said.

The brothers are raising money for the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society of America. Donations can be sent to Challenge Charity Trust; 6626 Rustic Road; Prior Lake, Minn. 55372. Mercury Outboards will donate $10,000 to the trust; the goal is $25,000.

A hotline has been set up to update callers on the team's status. It is a two-minute message retrieved by calling (952) 876-6626.

HOW FAR TODAY?

Sean and Brenton McGrath are skiing down the Mississippi River to raise money for the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society of America. Their journey began Monday in Minneapolis, Minn., and should end Saturday at the Gulf of Mexico.

Day 1

Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., to Dubuque, Iowa 283 miles

Day 2

Dubuque, Iowa, to Quincy, Ill. 258 miles

Day 3

Quincy, Ill., to St. Louis, Mo. 145 miles

Day 4

St. Louis, Mo., to Memphis, Tenn. 403 miles

Day 5

Memphis, Tenn., to Natchez, Miss. 371 miles

Day 6

Natchez, Miss., to Gulf of Mexico 369 miles