SCHOOLS NEWS
From icy seas to classroom seats: Pretoria Boys duo brave cold waters to fund underprivileged learners
Chris Oldnall, Pretoria Boys High Deputy Headmaster of Sport, and Peet Crowther, Pretoria Boys High alumnus after completing the Double False Bay Crossing.
Chris Oldnall, Pretoria Boys High Deputy Headmaster of Sport, and Peet Crowther, Pretoria Boys High alumnus, have completed the final and most demanding leg of the Trilogy Ocean Challenge: a brutal 66km Double False Bay Crossing.
The swim, completed from Rooi-Els to Miller’s Point and back, marks a historic moment in South African open-water swimming. The Double False Bay Crossing has never before been completed as a solo open-water swim, making this achievement one for the history books.
This final swim brings to a close the extraordinary Trilogy Ocean Challenge, a 152km extreme open-water swim series across some of the most unforgiving waters in the Western Cape. Across all three swims, Oldnall and Crowther have taken on freezing Atlantic conditions, powerful currents, long hours of physical exhaustion, mental isolation, and the relentless unpredictability of the ocean.
The Trilogy Ocean Challenge included:
Leg 1: The Single 33km False Bay Crossing (2024)
Leg 2: The first-ever solo swim from Robben Island to Dassen Island, covering 53km (2025)
Leg 3: The historic 66km Double False Bay Crossing (2026- exact time and distance to follow)
Together, these three swims represent far more than a test of endurance. They are a powerful symbol of courage, resilience, brotherhood, and purpose. Behind the achievement stands a remarkable community who helped make this historic challenge possible. While Chris and Peet were the men in the water, they were carried by the quiet sacrifices and support of their families, loved ones, boat crews, Pretoria Boys High School, the Old Boys network and everyone who stood behind the mission. This was never the journey of two swimmers alone, but a collective effort driven by purpose, belief and legacy.
The second leg of the challenge already made history when Crowther and Oldnall became the first swimmers to complete the brutal 53km solo route from Robben Island to Dassen Island. Peet finished in 18:23:20.37, with Chris completing the swim in 20:26:21.37.
Now, with the completion of the Double False Bay Crossing, the Trilogy Ocean Challenge stands as one of the most remarkable endurance achievements in South African open-water swimming.
But the true purpose of the challenge reaches beyond the water.
The Trilogy Ocean Challenge was undertaken in support of the South African Hall of Fame Legacy Project, an initiative that gives talented young boys with limited resources the opportunity to attend Pretoria Boys High School. To date, 57 scholars have been supported through this life-changing programme.
“This challenge was never only about swimming,” said Johnny Burger, Chairman of The South African Hall of Fame. “It was about using human endurance to create opportunity. Chris and Peet have shown what is possible when courage is connected to purpose.”
Through every kilometre, every cold-water battle, and every hour spent in the ocean, Oldnall and Crowther carried a bigger mission: to help unlock futures for young South Africans with talent, potential, and dreams that deserve a chance.
The completion of the Trilogy Ocean Challenge is a celebration of human spirit, South African grit, and the lasting impact of legacy-driven action.
Photos supplied by Trilogy Ocean Challenge
