Personal message

"I know ME as an adult would have helped ME as a kid to believe in myself sooner, dream bigger and reach for more quicker. I believe I can do this for thousands of sick and needy children. Help the LIttle Optimist and I to Inspire them! " - Greg Bertish

Having spent nearly 200 days in hospital in 2006/7, I was misdiagnosed, operated on, had IV drips 24/7, and at stages was offered no hope or cure. I used visualisation, optimism and my passion for the ocean and life to overcome, survive and get out of hospital. I was lucky, I had something to live for!

This may not be the case for many sick and scared children. Through my work with The Children’s Hospital Trust, I discovered these kids often have no passion or no desire to get well and leave hospital. They have very little to fight and live for. They face going home to broken families, one meal a day, and no passion or dream to inspire them to get better and survive. We need to change this!

An Optimistic Adventure

I am working with the Children’s Hospital Trust , to use the little 8 foot Optimist “bathtub” sailing dinghy to inspire children & patients to get better and get out of Hospital. I want to inspire these kids and people to be positive, to be optimistic, to never give up and to believe that they too can do anything they desire and want, no matter what challenges they face.

PART 1: 

An Optimistic Adventure: (March 2016) To boldly go where no Optimist has gone before!

As a long time sailor, lifesaver and big wave surfer & rescue PWC operator, I am working closely with NSRI to promote ocean safety. I will be working with Save Our Seas to promote ocean conservation, and have partnered with the Children’s Hospital Trust to help save kids, give them a passion and a skill, and get them inspired to leave hospital and get better.

The Ocean Adventure is 200km in the tiny Optimist Kids dinghy, representing the 200 days I spent in hospital.

• From Cape Hangklip to Cape Point – across the Shark infested Waters of False Bay
• Around Cape Point to Kommetjie – Around Cape Point and the Cape Of Storms
• Kommetjie to Robben Island – Nelson Mandela/Belief and a Dream & Optimism
• Robben Island to Dassen Island/ Yserfontein – many nautical miles out to sea/from dry land
• Dassen Island/ Yserfontain to Saldanha Bay/ Langebaan

This amounts to 200km in the open ocean, along one of the wildest and most dangerous coastlines in the world! The longest, most dangerous open ocean voyage taken on by a little Optimist. The approximate duration will be 5 to 8 days.

All the funds raised through this campaign will go to the Children's Hospital Trust, saving children's lives.

Please consider making a donation to this campaign. You can either donate once off or per Km for the amount of days I spent in hospital. 

So 200 km  for 200 days – please sponsor me per KM .

Eg R5 per KM = R1000

Donations