David Grier’s keynote is a powerful journey into the heart of endurance, service, and human connection. Drawing on his extraordinary adventures — running thousands of kilometers across some of the most remote and challenging landscapes on earth — David weaves an inspiring narrative about the true meaning of resilience, compassion, and living with purpose. Every step he has taken across the Great Wall of China, the rugged terrains of India and Madagascar, and the icy expanses of the South Pole has been dedicated to changing lives through his humanitarian work with the Miles for Smiles Foundation.
Through gripping storytelling, striking visuals, and heartfelt authenticity, David shares how pushing physical limits became a pathway to unlocking deeper human potential — not just for himself, but for countless children born with cleft lips and palates who had little hope. His experiences show that adversity is not an end, but an invitation to rise, to give, and to lead with empathy.
For the audience, David’s keynote is a moving call to action: to reframe challenges as opportunities for growth, to recognize that individual actions can ripple outward to create profound change, and to reconnect with the values that drive true, meaningful success. Whether in business, leadership, or personal life, David’s message resonates — that fulfillment comes not just from what we achieve, but from what we give back.
Audience members leave not only inspired but armed with a renewed sense of purpose and practical tools for resilience, adaptability, and values-driven leadership. David’s keynote reminds everyone listening: “The real adventure begins when we step beyond ourselves in service of something greater.”
In many ways one of the most important factors that David has had to come to terms with, is the realisation that everything and everyone around us is evolving, changing at such a rapid rate. To keep pace, one must have the ability to evolve with it.
Ultimately each journey one embarks on will etch a scar on one’s life as it passes. As David fought the twisting path of these journeys, a path that has sent him on so many unplanned detours, He looks back at the many different stages and how everything has panned out, how far they are from the original path, but the life lessons gained along the way have enabled him to keep evolving and adapting to the everchanging world ultimately driving his success.
“I honestly feel if one has purpose in life, this gives you the resilience to deal with the situations that you find yourself in. Resilience enables change and the ability to deal with the difficult task of adapting. Change brings positivity. “
David Grier is an internationally acclaimed adventurer, ultra-endurance athlete, and humanitarian known for tackling some of the toughest journeys on earth to raise awareness and funds for children born with cleft lips and palates. In partnership with Operation Smile, he co-founded the Cipla Miles for Smiles Foundation, which has provided thousands of life-changing surgeries.
Incredibly, David is the only person in the world to have run the entire 4,031 km Great Wall of China in both directions, a feat that required extraordinary resilience, teamwork, and mental strength. His endurance challenges, which also include paddling across oceans and running across continents, serve as powerful metaphors for leadership, perseverance, and hope. Through his talks, David shares moving stories of overcoming adversity, navigating setbacks, and dedicating oneself to a cause bigger than personal achievement.
A Chef by profession and a Humanitarian by passion. Extreme Adventurer, Bestselling Author, and Inspirational Speaker.
Fuelled by a passion to make a difference in the lives of children born with clefts and in need of life changing corrective surgery, David turned to extreme adventurism to create awareness and raise fund for this cause and assist with their corrective surgery.
He has become the first person to have run the length of the Great Wall of China in both directions and since then has gone on to 6 more arduous, breath-taking adventures, each one adding to his life’s lessons which have now been crafted into a talk. The journeys have also been captured in coffee table books written by David.
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In this powerful talk, David Grier reflects on his extraordinary journeys and the lessons they hold about resilience, hope, and embracing change. He begins with a story of a child awaiting cleft surgery, which sparked his mission to ignite hope in others. This moment became the catalyst for a series of extreme endurance challenges, beginning with a 4,200 km run along the Great Wall of China. Facing temperatures from 45°C in the Gobi Desert to -22°C in Siberia, David recalls moments of exhaustion and self-doubt, realizing that true change begins from within.
He shares how change is not optional but essential, and that hope is the bridge between negativity and positivity. His stories include running around South Africa, where Nelson Mandela entrusted him with a symbolic flag to “speed up the process of change.” Paddling across the Mozambique Channel, battling currents that pushed him backward despite thousands of strokes, taught him that success and failure are separated by self-belief.
David recounts running the length of Madagascar and India, where he faced malaria, ruptured organs, and near collapse, yet pressed on through sheer attitude. His encounters with people along these journeys revealed that hope is often sparked by others and that gratitude sustains resilience even in suffering.
He closes by urging audiences to reflect on their own lives, embrace change, and remember that igniting hope is a collective effort. His call to action: with the right mindset and unity, a brighter, more hopeful future is possible.
00:10 – Defining hope and the importance of embracing it
01:00 – Story of meeting a child awaiting cleft surgery as catalyst
02:30 – Running the Great Wall of China, extremes of heat and cold
04:10 – Realization: change starts from within
05:00 – Lessons from running around South Africa and Mandela’s encouragement
07:00 – Crossing the Mozambique Channel, battling currents and setbacks
09:00 – Running Madagascar and India, overcoming illness and injury
11:00 – Encounters with people who taught gratitude and resilience
13:00 – The power of hope as the sunrise of positivity
14:00 – Call to action: embrace change, ignite hope, create a positive future
In this interview, David Grier recounts his second successful run of the Great Wall of China, making him the only person in history to complete the entire 4,031 km distance in both directions. Joined by fellow athlete Andrew Stuart, David reflects on the immense challenges, including extreme weather, injuries, and relentless terrain.
The second journey was completed in just 78 days, averaging nearly 60 km daily. Training took years, with focused preparation on Table Mountain, and during the race, recovery often meant rehabbing injuries while continuing forward. He describes how tendinitis from extreme cold forced them to adapt, treating themselves and rebuilding mileage until they could run again.
David emphasizes that endurance challenges are as much about mental resilience and teamwork as physical ability. He and Andrew made a pact never to finish without one another, carrying each other through the darkest moments. Beyond personal achievement, the run had a higher purpose: raising funds for Operation Smile through the Cipla Miles for Smiles Foundation.
Over the past 12 years, David and his team have raised over $300,000, funding more than 2,500 cleft repair surgeries for children in Africa and beyond. He shares how thinking of these children helped him take each painful step forward. For David, adventure is not just about breaking records—it’s about making a tangible difference in people’s lives.
00:20 – Completing the Great Wall of China in both directions, a world first
01:00 – Differences between the first (93 days) and second run (78 days)
02:10 – Training over 12 years and intensive prep on Table Mountain
03:00 – Daily routine: 60 km runs, 8–14 hours on foot, extreme terrain
04:00 – Injury setbacks and “rehab on the run”
05:30 – The importance of teamwork and pact to finish together
06:30 – Challenges with military zones and navigating obstacles
07:30 – Purpose: raising funds for cleft surgeries through Operation Smile
08:30 – Impact: 2,500+ surgeries, $300,000+ raised, lives changed
A1: Yes. He customizes examples and takeaways to match your sector and strategic priorities.
A2: Yes. Workshops include scenario planning and resilience drills that teams can implement post event.
A3: Standard speaker travel and AV. For experiential workshops allow additional prep time for exercises.
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