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Extreme adventurer, conservationist, youth developer, motivational speaker, TV Presenter and author: Braam Malherbe has an infectious energy and simply does not understand the meaning of the word impossible!
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 achieved a world first by running the entire length of the Great Wall of China (4218km) 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 (3278km). Through these achievements in excess of R2.5 million were raised for Operation Smile.
Braam’s dedication to nature conservation and the protection of the planet started from a young age. At age 16, Braam ran 532km in 11 days (from Plett-CT) to raise funds for the protection of the Langebaan lagoon.
In 1999 he completed another 620kms from Tsitsikamma National Park to Kirstenbosch Gardens, involving many thousands of children, to raise funds to assist South African National Parks in its ongoing fight against the scourge of poaching.
As an Honorary Ranger for SANParks, he is involved in training rangers for counter poaching operations and founded the Table Mountain National Park’s Volunteer Firefighting unit in 2000.
For the past 15 years, Braam has worked extensively as a youth educator through outdoor leadership camps teaching children about nature and survival skills. Through his guidance Braam empowers them to reach their full potential, and make a difference in their own lives and in the lives of others.
His motto is that the greatest gift in life is giving and that nothing is impossible if you have big dreams.
He currently presents on the SABC2 nature programme 50/50 and was recently named the Men’s Health Unsung Hero of the Year for 2010!
