Maiden becomes first South African woman to row the Atlantic Ocean, solo
The crossing took 66 days and despite a few hiccups when her boat capsized, she finished the 'Worlds Toughest Row' making herself, her family and broader community burst with pride.
“I don’t know what I was looking for, but I found it,” says Leanne Maiden (42) as she reflects on her solo row across the Atlantic Ocean.
The former Joburg North resident took part in the World’s Toughest Row – a 4 828km race from De La Gomera to Antigua in waters that often have 6m waves, are 8.5km deep and test a participant’s mental and physical limits.
Her father, Brad Miller who lives in Linden says, “We are so very proud of her, she is an inspiration. Her boat, Rieka, proudly flew the SA flag all the way across, while her oars also had the SA flag on them.”
She describes being in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and not doing particularly well.
“I saw a post on Facebook and signed up immediately. My husband and family were so supportive but were, obviously, concerned. Seeing them all there at the finish line after 66 days alone was a feeling I will never be able to forget or describe.”
She says there were originally four on the team, but the others dropped off. “I rowed solo, which was so daunting but I have realised I am braver and stronger than I ever thought I was.”
During this experience, Maiden says she found a community of people at a time she needed them through an experience she will forever be grateful for.
“After the terrible weather at the start, no longer being able to see the land was a moment I had really worried about. The sheer scale of the ocean is unimaginable, and even more so when you are right in the middle of it in a small boat.
“I saw quite a lot of container ships and cruise ships but that was it. It was eerie at times, especially when the water was dead calm.”
She says the scariest was ‘when I had to go in the water to scrape barnacles off. If you don’t do that it can lead to a host of other problems including damage to the vessel’.
“I was always tied to the boat but still it was not a calm dip in the water.”
Maiden says finding a pattern for rest was tricky. “Some say row for one hour and rest for one hour. I found I preferred a longer rest window but still had to set an alarm for every hour or so to quickly check that I was not going off course.”
She hopes her journey may inspire someone else to take a chance and step outside of their comfort zone. “I hope my sons – when they are a bit older – realise nothing is impossible and that they can do anything they can dream of.”
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