Ashton Pienaar

Ashton Pienaar is a reality TV star and entrepreneur. He joined the cast of the Bravo series Below Deck for seasons 6 and 7, beginning as one of the deckhands, alongside Ross Inia, Rhylee Gerber, Tyler Rowland, and bosun Chandler Brooks, before being promoted to bosun for his second season. Pienaar was a fan favourite at first, especially after his near-death experience when his foot became entangled in a tow rope and was dragged into the water. Fortunately, a cameraman was nearby and dived into the water to save him. Pienaar subsequently studied for his Master of Yachts 200GT license, allowing him to work as a mate rather than a deckhand. He joined a Croatian crew and became the First Mate/Co-Captain of a yacht based in Florida.

In his following season, however, Pienaar did not prove as popular with viewers. When the bosun began to drink extensively on nights out, his supporters began to turn against him. After leaving the show, Pienaar felt compelled to better himself. Viewers may recall how guilty he felt about the way he had treated some of his castmates during the season 7 reunion show. Soon after, Pienaar began counselling to address the flaws he noticed while viewing himself on film.

Pienaar has since formed his own fitness coaching company, AP Elite, and works as a personal trainer, assisting clients from all over the world in eating healthier and sticking to their training routines. Shortly before the Below Deck reunion, Pienaar decided to become sober, and in 2021 the fitness guru took to social media to celebrate his first full year of sobriety. He keeps up with his fans on Instagram, where he boasts over 150,000 followers.