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South Africa
Chef, dedicated athlete, adventurist and trustee and ambassador for the ‘Cipla Miles for Smiles Foundation’
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Another of David’s recent challenges was the solo run from the most northern temple in Kashmir India to the most southern temple in the ocean at Kanyakumari a distance of some 4008 km and a time span of 93 days becoming one of the first people to complete this deemed to be impossible feat.
David Grier was born in South Africa on the 16th of January 1960 into a Cape wine farming family. Here his love of the outdoors, food, wine and adventure began. He set out to take all his passions to the extreme and explore the limits of the human mind and body.
After studying Hotel Management, David Grier set out into the industry, starting the first of a string of successful restaurants. Always pushing the boundaries in the food industry he slowly began to make his mark in the industry culminating in his most recent restaurant being rated in the top 100 in SA. This led to television, brand exposure and his own range of food products.
To date: David Grier has run The Great wall of China 4200km in 93 days, Run the entire coastline of South Africa 3300 km in 80 days, paddled from Africa to Madagascar 500km in 12 days, run the Island of Madagascar South to north 2700km in 67 days and run the entire length of India 4008 km in 93 days.
David Grier is a trustee and ambassador for the ‘Cipla Miles for Smiles Foundation’, raising funds through adventure for Operation Smile,South Africa, who perform corrective surgery on children born with cleft lips and palates.
He has shaped the experiences of the last four challenges into a series of inspirational talks. His message is of hope and ‘making a difference’ in peoples lives through change, positivity, the right attitude, recognizing opportunity and never giving up.
See keynotes with David GrierKeynote by Speaker David Grier
Keynote by Speaker David Grier
Keynote by Speaker David Grier
Keynote by Speaker David Grier
Keynote by Speaker David Grier
Watch speaker David Grier in action!
How did you end up becoming both a chef and an adventurist?
I have been a chef for over 30 years, I always say that one day someone left that kitchen door open and I bolted out into the wild. – there are always numerous reasons what we end up changing direction in life. I had some personal reasons, some family ones and most importantly I wanted to fins a way to be a catalyst to like minded people in my country to help make a difference and take our country to the next level.
How are both these passions reflected in your keynotes?
My journeys/Adventures,have each left me with a scar, which is ultimately a life lesson, I have taken these lessons and they have become the layers of the foundation of my life as I move on. There has also been the realization that I have had to embrace Change. I have ultimately had to see the rewards of change, otherwise why go through with it. The hope that this brings, but in order to do this I have had to have the correct attitude and most importantly, the realization that one can never achieve anything on your own, its the people around you that are the most important thing in ones life.
What types of clients do you typically work with and what do they gain from your keynotes?
My keynotes are ones of inspiration, they are my personal journeys shared from the heart of how and what I have done as an individual to come to terms with and ultimately enhance my life and that of the people around me. My presentations are accessible as I am a normal guy, a father, a husband and grandfather and go through the everyday problems that we all face on a daily basis , how I have come to terms with all of this. My presentation will make you think and reflect on life
Can you tell us about your most recent adventure/excursion?
My run from north to south down India. Starting in Kashmere, in the foothills of the Himalayas at the most northern temple I began this epic run down India, traveling through 10 provinces which in the end felt like 10 different countries. A journey that I felt that I was so prepared for, taking in all that I had learnt from my previous runs, only to find it was to be a journey that nearly got the better of me.
From day one it became an internal mental battle, struggling to remain focused and positive. Every day was a fight to take a negative situation and turn it positive. Plagued by injury, sickness, doubt and overwhelmed by the demise of humanity all around me, each day became a search for some straw of hope to hang onto for that day. In the end as a team we managed to turn it around by lifting the bar, pushing me harder and harder, finally running 50km a day for weeks on end through this physical achievement I began to believe that I could do it and managed to shut off the world around me.
There was never a time that I could get into a rhythm and just run because of the mass of people around me all the time, the continuous barrage of questions and just plain honest interest in what in was doing. I finally reached the southern tip of India, 93 days later after covering a distance of 4008 km. A journey that made me realize that I was nothing without the people around me, they are the key to my success.
Why should event planners choose you for their next event?
Through my journeys/adventures, I can offer an event the opportunity to travel outside the norms of everyday life, give people the opportunity to reflect and appreciate what they have and realize that no matter where we live, where we come from, we all have to deal with the same everyday problems. I offer an opportunity to escape for an hour,to think, to laugh to cry take on a different perspective to this, just quietly sit back and reflect and realize you are not alone in what you have to deal with in your life, we all are going through a similar journey.
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