"I was an insecure, bullied child with bad acne and no self-esteem. I believed I would never amountto much. At age 30, I was infected by a rare tropical bacteria that attacked my aortic valve.I spent over 200 days in hospital and underwent two open heart surgeries. Optimism, a passion for the ocean and a small baby saved my life!"In April 2016 Greg sailed an 8- foot children’s Optimist dinghy 200km around the Cape ofStorms to fulfil a childhood dream. His journey raised overZAR 1.3 million to upgrade and paint the Red Cross War Memorial Hospital, and OPTIMIST, the documentary, was released. Since then the Trust has gone on to upgrade and beautify 8 more under resourced places of Healing and Education.Greg is the co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Sharkspotter Program, and in 2017 hefounded the Little Optimist Children’s Trust. In 2019 he was awarded the Dame CharityAward in Amsterdam, in recognition of the charity work he does in Africa.Greg is the author of 2 Children's books that inspire 1000s of children each year, in 3 languages.In 2021 Greg partnered with Impact 2024 (Paris 2024 Olympics) to open the first of its kind Sailing Therapy Academy for At Risk Youth, in the V&A Waterfront , Cape Town , South Africa.Greg grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and is a businessman, humanitarian and author.He is a respected sailor and big wave surfer. He Shifted Perceived Reality when, as acardiac surgery survivor, he became the South African national champion in Lifesaving andStand Up Paddle Boarding.Greg teaches others that obstacles and challenges in life, can be overcome throughpositivity and daring to think differently. He is a master of resilience and harnessingdisruption, and his talks are powerful and raw, and known for injecting optimism andinspiration into his audiences."I know ME as an adult, would have inspired ME as a kid, to believe in myself more, todream bigger and to reach for more quicker. "- Greg Bertish