Braam Malherbe

He’s an extreme adventurer, international motivational speaker, youth developer, TV Presenter and author of the best seller “The Great Run” but most of all, he is a no-nonsense conservationist. Braam has an infectious energy that is fed by his life-long passion to protect the environment. He inspires countless others to do the same!As an Honorary Ranger for South African National Parks, he has been involved in training rangers for counter poaching operations and co-founded the Table Mountain National Park’s Volunteer Firefighting unit in 2000 which he headed as CEO for 6 years.For the past 15 years, Braam has worked extensively as a youth developer, facilitating outdoor leadership camps where he teaches children about their place in nature and survival skills. Through his guidance Braam empowers them to make a difference in their own lives and in the lives of others. His mottos are: “the greatest gift in life is giving” and “nothing is impossible if you have big dreams”.In 2006, he put his conviction to the test. Against our country’s top medical and sport experts’ advice, Braam Malherbe and running partner David Grier achieved a world first by running the entire length of the Great Wall of China, a distance of 4, 218 kms, at a pace of a marathon a day for 98 days. This expedition funded the inaugural mission for Operation Smile in South Africa, an international charity organization providing corrective surgery for children born with cleft lip and cleft palate disfigurements.Only two years later in 2008, after serious knee surgery and his doctors saying he’d never run again, Braam and David completed another world first by running a “Smile around South Africa”, following the entire coastline from Namibia to Mozambique, a distance of 3,278 kms. Through these achievements in excess of R2.5 million was raised for Operation Smile. He proved yet again, that with a great purpose and conviction, our mind can overcome all imposed limitations.He currently presents on the SABC2 nature programme 50/50. In his series, “Get Connected with Braam”, he motivates the audience to become aware of and appreciate the connection we all have with animals and our natural world.As one of South Africa’s most sought after motivational speakers, Braam leaves his audiences not only inspired but empowered to embracing change as a process to greater personal fulfillment.He is taking the ongoing assault on our country’s rhino population very personally and – in line with his lifelong campaign for the preservation of our planet’s biodiversity – is heading an international crusade to protect our precious wildlife.Braam received the prestigious Men’s Health Unsung Hero Award for 2010 and has recently been made the Woolworths “My Planet” ambassador.