By Julia Cabrera
Rabat – South African Surfer, Chris Bertish left Agadir, Morocco on December 6, 2016 to begin his voyage across the Atlantic. 93 days, more than two million strokes and over 4,000 miles later he reached the Harbour of Antigua and made history.
Bertish, 42, is a professional water sports competitor from Cape Town, but after reaching his finish line he described the voyage to press in Antigua as “the most frightening thing that I’ve ever done before.”
According to CNN, through his journey Bertish paddled the equivalent of a marathon per day. He sailed the Canary Island, leading him into the ocean towards the Caribbean. Out in the ocean he was able to set a new record of the furthest distance traveled alone and unassisted in the ocean in one day (71.96 miles).
“It seems mind-boggling that I’m alive at all to be honest,” Bertish said.
During his trip across the open ocean, Bertish battled strong currents, large waves and even sharks, according to ABC.
He traveled in a custom-made paddleboard, packed with tools and necessities to aid him throughout the voyage. The board had a watertight cabin, solar panels and a built-inGPS.
“I pretty much ate exactly the same thing every single day for 93 days. It made me realize how much we have and how much we take for granted,” he said during the Press conference according to ABC.
He carried on the voyage to raise funds for three main charities; Signature of Hope Trust, the Lunchbox Fund, and Operation Smile. Through these charities he will be able to help build schools in poor areas of South Africa, feed thousands of starving children and help pay for the surgeries of children born with cleft lip and palates.
During his historic trip, Bertish was able to keep a blog on Facebook where he updated followers on his experiences. He spent Christmas and New Years alone during the voyage.
“Nothing is impossible, unless you believe it to be,” Bertish said to followers on Facebook.
The Sup Crossing Website kept record of his crossing process.
