Image Credits: World's Toughest Row
Some journeys start small — a thought shared between friends, a spark of possibility, a ‘what if?’. For four South Africans, that spark has grown into something far bigger: a 4,800km row across the Atlantic Ocean with a purpose anchored in home, heritage, and hope.
In December 2025, Team Ocean Mavericks - Martin Hall, JP Briner, Angelo Wilkie-Page, and Matt Botha - will push off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to take on the world-renowned World’s Toughest Row. Unsupported, exposed to the raw mood of the Atlantic, and propelled only by strength and grit, they’ll row day and night toward the Caribbean.
A Mission Rooted in Home
For team member Matt Botha, this expedition is far more than an extreme adventure - it’s a homecoming. Matt grew up exploring the cliffs, forests, and seas of the Wild Coast. He co-founded the Pondoland Conservation Trust (PCT) to protect these landscapes and support the communities who live alongside them.
“Pondoland raised me. Every trail, every community, every stretch of coastline has shaped who I am. Protecting it isn’t a choice - it’s a responsibility.” - Matt Botha
The row will directly support community-led conservation through PCT, with funds contributing to a second community centre in Rhole. This follows the success of the first centre in Msikaba, hubs that offer education, digital access, and a space for community-driven environmental work.
Why We’re Getting Involved
We’re proud to support Ocean Mavericks as they row across the Atlantic, raising awareness for the Pondoland Conservation Trust.
As the team’s apparel and gear sponsor - and through our commitment to 1% for the Planet - we’re backing their mission to protect Pondoland’s coastline, a place of immense natural beauty, deep cultural heritage, and irreplaceable biodiversity.
This partnership brings adventure and purpose together. It’s rooted in shared values - responsibility, community upliftment, and a love for wild spaces. And it’s a reminder that with grit, collaboration, and care for our planet, we can collectively make a lasting impact.
Inside the World’s Toughest Row
Each December, teams from across the globe gather on the island of La Gomera. The race village buzzes with nervous energy and camaraderie - crews fine-tune their boats, patch up gear, share advice, and soak in the last few moments on land before heading into the vast blue.
The crossing itself is incomparable. Rowers face:
- Sleep deprivation
- Salt sores and injury
- Unpredictable weather
- Weeks of physical and mental strain
But they also face something else: stillness. Connection. Purpose. Long stretches of ocean where thoughts have room to move, and where teamwork becomes the only way forward.
A Challenge That Changes You
The beauty of this race lies not just in its difficulty, but in what it creates - friendships forged through adversity, a global community connected by resilience, and a deep respect for the ocean that carries each crew across.
By the time the Mavericks reach the finish, they’ll join a small, proud group of people who have pulled themselves across an ocean one stroke at a time. It’s a life-altering achievement - but more importantly, it’s a journey that will ripple far beyond the finish line, into the communities and coastlines of the Wild Coast.
This is more than a row.
It’s a reminder of what’s worth protecting.
And it’s a story still being written - stroke by stroke, kilometre by kilometre, all the way across the Atlantic.
