We’ve been rowing for 12 days now and are slowly settling into a good routine. At last, after nine days of rough seas, we have a South east wind behind us and a gentler ocean. The sea is a deep indigo blue with a depth of around 4kms. Our current regime is a row shift of 1 ½ hours pretty much 21 hours a day (and night). The ‘together’ hours are cooking meals and sharing stories. It is vital that we interact and get to know each other. From my past expeditions I have learned the power of humour as well as the importance of open, honest communication. If I have the slightest inkling, whether justifiable or not, that disturbs me about Wayne, I share it, and visa versa. What may appear as something really petty, can, over time, when one is terribly fatigued and raw, explode into an ugly bitterness. We have agreed to be absolutely transparent with each other and are, as I see it, becoming good friends.

The blisters are there en force but my hands are already hardening under the torn callouses. I busy my row schedule with music, an audio books or a breathing meditation taught to me by my psychologist and mind coach, Jeffrey Rink.. Other times, I just reflect on my life, it’s ups and downs and, most importantly, how fortunate I am to be able to do the things I do and in some small way, be a greater asset to our Earth. I miss home a lot. I miss my son Benjamin Malherbe, my dogs, my home itself. But as Shaekespeare said; “this too shall pass; time and the hour runneth through the longest day”. And always, every day, I remind myself why I am doing this; to try and get people to understand the mess we as a species have made and, more significantly, what we can do to mitigate an unprecedented disaster.

I have watched a dream I have had for ten years begin to become a reality: the DOT App. If we can all pull with Wayne and me to get to Rio, we can get over 2 million people Doing One Thing for the Earth on the app. The Executive Deputy Mayor of Cape Town Ian Neilson has given me a letter for the Mayor of Rio, challenging Rio to equal or better the amount of DOT’s achieved by Cape Town. It’s easy and it’s free. Please download it and DOT. Don’t just DOT - Do One Thing on the app but share it with friends, family, your kid’s school…

challenge people to get involved!

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Leopard.tv MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet at all schools in South Africa, Shimmy Beach Club with all your guests, ASEA Europe with all your network, XL Travel Head Office with all your travelers, Nando’s with your costumers Cape Quarter with all your shops, C&A Friedlander Attorneys with all your staff and Mhondoro with your guests. Hold people accountable.

In my view, if you are not an asset to the Earth, you are a liability. Please make the right choice, for the sake of our Earth, its creatures and for the sake of our children #DOTChallenge

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