Ferry Zandvliet

Ferry Zandvliet was born in the Netherlands in 1978. As a teenager, he was profoundly affected by his parents’ divorce, becoming a very negative, angry person who made himself a victim. After leaving school, he pursued a career in the hospitality business, was a fitness trainer and coach before training to become a physiotherapist. His life changing experience came in November, 2015, when he survived the Bataclan Theater terrorist attack. When he shared his grief with a total stranger and his three fellow surviving friends, it allowed him to open up himself for the first time.

Although he was suffering from PTSD, he did not see himself as a victim and actually wanted to help other survivors. In 2017 he started a victim support group for fellow survivors of terrible attacks, and has campaigned for a better understanding and support of their needs. As a full time speaker, he has given inspirational speeches around the world including to police organizations and the UN. Talking about his experiences has helped him come to terms with them, and he encourages this in his victim support group. He wrote his bestselling book in 2020, and Ferry Zandvliet is now a happier person than ever due to his life changing experiences of the Bataclan.