Hillcrest’s JP Briner and the Ocean Mavericks are gearing up to take on The World’s Toughest Row.
This month, four South African adventurers will take on one of the most extreme endurance challenges on Earth – rowing 4,800km across the Atlantic Ocean as part of the World’s Toughest Row. Among them is Hillcrest’s own JP Briner – a business owner, husband, father of two, and skipper of Team Ocean Mavericks – who will spend up to 50 days at sea, rowing unsupported from the Canary Islands to Antigua to raise funds for the Pondoland Conservation Trust.
For JP, this is more than an endurance race. It’s a test of courage, a lesson in purpose, and a legacy in motion.
Though born in Pietermaritzburg, JP has called Hillcrest home since 2005. He’s built a life, his business Tradecore Steel, and a strong circle of support in a community that’s been behind him every step of the way.
“The encouragement from friends, neighbours, our Highbury school family and the wider Hillcrest community has been incredible,” he says. “They’ve believed in us from the start – now we owe it to them to give our best.”
For JP, the toughest part of preparing for the World’s Toughest Row hasn’t been the physical grind, it’s been the teamwork, logistics and mental resilience required to bring four busy adventurers together for one monumental goal.
“The hardest work happens before you even touch the oars,” he admits. “It’s about learning to communicate, delegate and trust each other completely.”
As the team’s skipper, JP’s role is to stay calm and level-headed under pressure, to make the tough calls, and to keep everyone safe and focused. “We’re four very different personalities,” he laughs, “but we all share that vasbyt attitude, that determination to dig deep when it gets tough. What really holds us together is trust, honesty and humour. If you can laugh together in the middle of the Atlantic, you’re doing something right.”
Their preparation has been as rigorous as the race itself. They have trained in demanding ocean conditions off Richards Bay and Durban, endured punishing two-hour rowing rotations to simulate life at sea, and completed navigation, weather and safety courses. They’ve practiced man-overboard drills, learned to repair their vessel mid-journey, and worked with endurance coaches and sports therapists to build mental toughness and emotional awareness.
“You have to get comfortable with discomfort,” JP says. “To row when you least feel like it, to stay patient when you’re exhausted – that’s the real training and it’s what will get us across the Atlantic.”
At the heart of the Mavericks’ mission is the Pondoland Conservation Trust, a non-profit working to protect one of South Africa’s last wild coastlines – home to rare plants, rich marine life and rural communities that rely on the land and sea.
“It’s one of the most unspoiled, breath-taking parts of our country,” JP explains. “But it’s under pressure from development and mining. We want to help protect it so our children – and theirs – can experience it as we have.”
Through their row, the team aim to raise funds and awareness for projects such as food gardens, boreholes, education programmes, and rewilding initiatives led by the Trust. “Every cent raised goes straight to the Pondoland Conservation Trust,” JP says. “We’ve self-funded most of this expedition, so all donations truly go towards the cause.”
“I lost our best friend to cancer five years ago,” JP shares quietly. “That loss changed how I see time. It taught me not to wait for the ‘right moment’ to do something meaningful, because you never know how much time you have. Rowing an ocean has always been a dream of mine. I decided to stop waiting and make it happen.”
Balancing family, business, and an expedition of this scale hasn’t been easy, but JP’s wife, Terri, and their two sons have been unwavering in their support.
“At first, Terri was understandably worried about the risks,” he admits, “but after learning more about the safety measures and seeing how much it means to me, she’s become 100 percent committed. My eldest is nervous but excited, my youngest just thinks Dad’s going on a really long paddle!”
More than anything, JP hopes his sons see this as proof that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
“You don’t need to be in the A-team to do something great,” he says. “You just need to show up, participate, and give it your all. I hadn’t rowed a single mile before committing to this race, but with focus, hard work and belief, anything is possible.”
“Why wait for the perfect time?” he adds. “This row is shaping me now – as a person, a dad, a husband. And that’s the legacy I want to leave for my boys – to dream big, take risks and do hard things now, not someday.”
When JP pictures arriving at Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua, he smiles. “I imagine it’ll be pure euphoria – knowing we’ve made it safely, still friends, still smiling. Holding the South African flag, flares in hand … that moment will make every stroke worth it.”
But the row isn’t the end – it’s a beginning. “If this journey inspires even one person to take on their own impossible dream or to protect a piece of wild South Africa, then that’s our real win,” JP says.
He quotes Jane Goodall: ‘What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make’. “For us, the Pondoland Conservation Trust is that difference.”
You can follow the Mavericks on socials: @ocean_mavericks_2025, support the cause: givengain.com/campaign/ocean_mavericks or learn more: pondotrust.com
Meet the Mavericks
JP Briner (skipper) – Hillcrest business owner, husband, and father of two. Motivated by purpose, legacy, and a lifelong love of the ocean.
Angelo Wilkie-Page – adventurer and endurance athlete who journeyed from LA to Nome, Alaska, using only human power. He brings boldness and humour to the crew.
Martin Hall – athlete, entrepreneur, and father. A veteran endurance racer rowing for legacy and grit.
Matt Botha – founder of Wild Child Africa and the Pondoland Conservation Trust. A barefoot explorer and passionate conservationist.
Why Pondoland matters
Pondoland, part of the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot, is one of the most ecologically rich and culturally significant coastlines in South Africa. It’s home to countless endemic species – plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth – and to rural communities whose livelihoods depend on the land and sea.
The Pondoland Conservation Trust works to protect this fragile ecosystem through rewilding projects, community food gardens, education and sustainable tourism – ensuring a legacy of wild beauty for generations to come.
