TOUCH DOWN // SPRING 2019
Previous page: Riaan, on the maiden African
voygae that kick-started his adventure
career. Left: Fanafikile Lehakha (back)
and Riaan (front) during their epic 45-day
journey rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.
Below: Riaan, Vasti and son James.
“
I’M SO IN LOVE WITH
THE IDEA OF FATHERHOOD
AND THE PRIVILEGE IT IS.
I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND,
BECAUSE I DIDN’T GROW
UP IN A PRIVILEGED
ENVIRONMENT – I WAS A
FOSTER CHILD AND DIDN’T
HAVE PARENTS.
You’ve accomplished many incredible
things. What are you most proud of?
My son, for sure. I’m so in love with the
idea of fatherhood and the privilege it
is. I didn’t understand, because I didn’t
grow up in a privileged environment – I
was a foster child and didn’t have parents.
I only really realised what I was missing
out on when I had my own son. I love the
responsibility of being a father.
Why is it important to you to travel,
set goals and pursue adventure with a
bigger cause in mind?
When I started, there weren’t many
people doing “adventure” as a career. For
the bicycle trip, it was a personal thing. I
was trying to bring colour to my life. But
after that journey, I launched my trust,
No Food For Lazy Man. One thing that
saved me as a child (without mentors and
people to guide me) was sport. The trust
raises funds to buy sporting equipment
for schools. One of the schools we’ve
worked closely with is Temperance Town
Primary in Gordon’s Bay. It keeps the
learners away from things that poor kids
normally get sucked into. And in return,
they do beach cleanups and other projects
that give back to their own communities.
What’s next for you?
“
I carried on. I didn’t carry on because I
wanted to die. I carried on with so much
fear in my heart, but knowing that I
wasn’t going to be a talker. If I said I’d
circumnavigate Africa, then I had to go
through every single coastal country.
channel 101 on Sundays at 18h00, starting
6 October 2019]. We also got an amazing
response to the South African Odyssey,
which covered the search for someone
to join me, the boot camp and the
training [15 000 people applied] – so we’re
going to do an international Odyssey in
Antarctica at the end of 2020. That will
include a global search and boot camp to
find someone to join me in Antarctica.
* Find out more about Riaan’s adventures and how
you can support the trust on riaanmanser.co.za
I’ve got a busy 2020 and 2021. We’re
now completing our documentary for
The Odyssey: Rowing across the Atlantic
[chronicling Riaan’s 45-day journey with
Fanafikile Lehakha from Soweto, rowing
from the Canary Islands to Barbados].
Fanafikile’s story is amazing. He was a guy
who couldn’t swim, from a culture where
people do not row across an ocean. With
his guts and willingness and determination,
Fanafikile brought a lot of inspiration into
my life. I’ll be so proud when it shows
[the six-part M-Net series is set to air on
GO HAVE AN ADVENTURE
#MakeMemoriesForLife
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