And then there are the spikes in adrenalin.

 

“There have been quite a few close calls,” he says. “I remember my first Fish River marathon at Cradock. Those were the biggest rapids I had ever seen. It was a huge shock.

 

“My most backbreaking row ever was the Berg River marathon from Paarl to Velddrift. It consists of 246km over four days and is without doubt the longest and the toughest.”

 

Still he believes that it is all worth the effort.

 

“People should experiment with rowing. You don't have to race in the lead, just enjoy it. And keep going. I've fallen out of the canoe more times than I have hair on my head. It is a completely different, but wonderful challenge.”