Riaan Manser is gearing up for a 5500-kilometre and two-month-long row across the Atlantic Ocean – from The Canary Islands to Barbados. He won’t be doing it solo, however. Instead, he will be signing up a complete stranger – an ordinary South African, but someone with enough guts, drive and sheer determination to survive such a strenuous undertaking.
Johannesburg, South Africa – M-Net Channel 101 is adding a brand new reality adventure documentary series to its strong Sunday line-up. In The Odyssey, which premieres on the channel on Sunday 13 October at 17:00, world-renowned explorer Riaan Manser – the epitome of tenacity and courage – is ready to embark on another bewildering expedition.
Manser, who has tackled several treacherous turfs on his own, is gearing up for a 5500-kilometre and two-month-long row across the Atlantic Ocean – from The Canary Islands to Barbados. He won’t be doing it solo, however. Instead, he will be signing up a complete stranger – an ordinary South African, but someone with enough guts, drive and sheer determination to survive such a strenuous undertaking.
To find his rowing partner, Manser called upon adventurous South Africans to join him, with more than 15 000 adrenaline-junkies plunging at the opportunity to embark on an experience of a lifetime with the legendary Manser. Unfortunately, the first person to circumnavigate the coast of Africa and the first person to kayak 5000-kilometres around Madagascar only had a spot for one individual. So, the entries had to be whittled down to ten finalists who will battle it out in a gruelling test of courage through an intense five-day ocean boot camp.
The extreme challenges were created to reveal the power of the ocean to the finalists and push them to their limits physically, emotionally and mentally, Manser says. “You’ll never win the fight against the sea, the sea is stronger than you and never tires. It will always beat you.”
The winner will be chosen by a panel of esteemed judges – Olympic gold medalist, Sizwe Ndlovu; psychologist Nicole Badenhorst; ocean expert Chris Roberts and experienced ocean rower and Riaan’s wife, Vasti Manser – who are not only looking for athletic ability but mental tenacity, self-belief and staying calm under pressure.
The ultimate explorer who has got the guts and grit to partner with Riaan on the extreme expedition will join him in a tiny boat that they will row unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean. The pair will go through a journey of self-discovery, and throughout the final two episodes, we follow the pair’s trials and tribulations on their life-threatening attempt to cross the second largest ocean on the planet.
“With cameras following all the action, The Odyssey is a fresh and immersive new television series that offers an engaging and intimate insight into human nature,” says Nicholas Francis, Chief Marketing Officer for Bryte Insurance Company, the sponsor of the show.
Which ordinary South African has got what it takes to survive a 5500 kilometre, two-month-long row across the Atlantic ocean? And will they make it to the other side unscathed? Tune in to find out!
The Odyssey will premiere on M-Net 101 on Sunday at 5 pm from 13 October 2019. It will also be available on DStv CatchUp. Follow all the breaking news and conversations around the show with the hashtag #TheOdyssey on Twitter @MNet & Instagram @Mnettv and on the official M-Net Facebook page.