About Greg Bertish
Childhood
Greg Bertish was a shy and insecure kid, who believed he would never amount to much. At school he was a poor student and was bullied. As a teenager he had bad acne and no self-confidence. But Greg always had a huge heart, and loved helping animals and people in need. A few key moment and people in his life, helped him find confidence, grow optimism and become a leader and inspiring adult.
Survivor
Greg he spent nearly 200 days in hospital – almost 100 days in 2007 alone. During this time he was sick, misdiagnosed, operated on, had IV drips 24/7, and at stages was offered no hope or cure. He used visualisation, optimism and his passion for the ocean and life to overcome, survive and get out of hospital. He was lucky, he had something to live for!
Little Optimist Trust
In April 2016, as a middle aged, multiple cardiac surgery survivor, on the blood thinner warfarin, he sailed a tiny children’s Optimist dinghy over 200 km in the open ocean. This represented each day he had spent in hospital. The aim was to show people that small people can do huge things.
He inspired patients, kids and others to never ever give up, and he raised over ZAR 300,000 ( $23,000) for The New ICU at Red Cross Children’s Hospital and later went on to help raise over ZAR 1 Million ($77,000) to renovate and paint it. The Little Optimist Trust now renovates and paints under resourced health and education facilities all over South Africa.
Shark Spotters
Shark Spotters is a pioneering shark safety and research organisation that has attracted international attention because of the novel way it pro-actively reduces interactions and conflict between recreational water users and white sharks.
Started in 2004, by Greg Bertish and Dave & Fiona Chudleigh, in response to a spate of shark bite incidents and increased shark sightings, Shark Spotters is now the primary shark safety strategy used in Cape Town.
Shark Spotters improves beach safety by applying innovative and responsible shark safety solutions that reduce the spatial overlap between people and sharks, thereby reducing the risk of a shark bite. We also provide emergency response in the event of a shark incident, as well as conduct cutting-edge applied research on shark behaviour and ecology, raise awareness about shark safety and conservation issues, and provide employment opportunities and skills development for shark spotters.
Aloha Award
The Aloha Award formed a joint venture with the International Surf Therapy Organization (ISTO), providing the Aloha Award with access to ISTO’s global network of surf therapy practitioners across 50 countries on 6 continents, extensive technical expertise in surf therapy, and a credible and efficient fundraising platform anchored by ISTO’s non-profit 501(c)(3) status.
The joint venture enhances the Aloha Award’s reach and capabilities, providing Aloha Award recipients and nominees with access to technical assistance and training, and allows us to accept tax-deductible donations from individual donors, foundations and corporate sponsors.
The Aloha Award gives ISTO a vehicle to recognize, reward and support surf therapy practitioners who are doing exceptional work. As such, the joint venture helps ISTO and the Aloha Award achieve their common goal of helping surf therapy organizations scale, operate more efficiently, and achieve greater impact.
Testimonials
What Can Greg Do for You?
He is now sought after by schools for his storytelling, which is unique, inspiring, and so much fun. His talks have become legendary, covering topics such as: being different, never giving up, having heart, appreciating what you have, and helping others.
To inspire adults and corporates, Greg uses his personal stories and those of children he has met along the way. Stories of inspiration, resilience, optimism, shifting reality, point of difference, helping others, dreams, goals, and how to thrive during and after adversity.