Motivational adventurer and keynote speaker
Corporate teams, leadership groups, conferences, and organisations seeking practical resilience strategies and inspiring real-world performance stories.
Kim van Kets is a South African motivational adventurer, endurance athlete, and keynote speaker known for translating extreme experiences into practical, relatable lessons for today’s organisations. Raised in the rural Eastern Cape, she studied law at Stellenbosch University, qualified as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa, and built a successful career in legal practice, corporate training, and consulting both locally and internationally.
Her passion for adventure has taken her into some of the world’s toughest endurance environments. In addition to major ultras such as the Comrades Marathon and Two Oceans, Kim has competed in and won multi-day ultra-distance trail and adventure races across the globe. She is best known for her “Tri the Beloved Country” expedition, completing a self-powered 6 772 kilometre circumnavigation of South Africa on foot, bike, and kayak over 148 days. This journey forms the heart of her message: resilience, disciplined routine, purposeful action, and the courage to continue when the goal feels overwhelming.
Kim’s keynotes, supported by vivid visuals from her expeditions, offer a compelling blend of humour, humanity, and hard-earned wisdom.
Kim van Kets grew up in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, studied law at Stellenbosch University, was admitted as an attorney of the High Court of RSA and spent many years in legal practice and the corporate world both in RSA and abroad. She is currently self-employed as a legal consultant/ corporate trainer, freelance writer, published author and inspirational speaker.
In addition to all the usual ultras like Comrades and 2 Oceans, she has taken part in numerous multi day ultra-distance trail and Adventure races all over the world and won some of them. She is best known for her “Tri the Beloved Country” Expedition which involved a self-powered 6 772 km circumnavigation of South Africa on foot, bike and kayak in 148 days.
If anyone is equipped to share lessons on what it means to overcome adversity and persevere against the odds, it is Kim van Kets. Few people have endured the harsh realities of nature that she has, and triumphed. Her inspirational keynotes, supported by thrilling images and videos of her expedition and endurance events, present real-life stories of resilience – ideal for today’s corporate audiences.
Despite opportunities to have married a sensible person Kim van Kets is happily married to Adventurer, Peter van Kets (2x Atlantic Rower and only African to have rowed solo across any ocean and one of the few South Africans to have trekked to the South Pole).
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This 5 minute 40 second teaser introduces the scale, spirit, and significance of Kim van Kets’s Tri the Beloved Country expedition, a self-powered circumnavigation of South Africa completed over 158 days and covering 6 762 kilometres by foot, bicycle, and kayak. The video blends documentary footage, narration, and on-the-ground moments from the journey to illustrate the physical demands, logistical complexity, and personal insights emerging from an adventure of this scale.
The teaser highlights Kim’s goal to explore the edges of her home country while testing her own limits. It captures scenes from remote coastlines, rugged mountain passes, border regions, and rural communities, offering viewers a glimpse into the diverse landscapes she crossed. The narrative emphasises her commitment to staying positive, maintaining discipline, and managing setbacks as elements such as weather, terrain, fatigue, and resource constraints presented continuous challenges.
Throughout the teaser, Kim reflects on the intention behind the expedition: celebrating the beauty of South Africa, engaging with its people, and proving that large, intimidating goals can be achieved through consistent, focused effort. The footage conveys the emotional highs, the exhaustion, and the deep sense of purpose that fuelled her progress. While the documentary hints at humorous encounters, moments of vulnerability, and hard-earned breakthroughs, it consistently reinforces the core message of resilience, perseverance, and the value of turning a dream into a well-executed plan.
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