In this compelling TEDx presentation, Sharon Jessop frames her mission through the lens of endurance, conservation, and the urgent fight against extinction. She opens with her Guinness World Record achievement: running 102 consecutive half marathons and logging over 3,300 miles in recent years, all as advocacy for rhino conservation. Living in the Eastern Cape, she frequently visits a local rhino family led by “Chuck,” a massive bull whose presence reminds her of both the magnificence and vulnerability of the species.

Sharon outlines the brutality of rhino poaching in South Africa, where a rhino is killed every 16 hours for its horn, a substance biologically identical to human nails. She shares her own experiences witnessing the devastation left by poachers and explains why she uses both her legs and her voice to fight for species survival. She then introduces the concept of keystone species, comparing rhinos to elephants, sharks, beavers, and other life-supporting animals whose absence leads to ecosystem collapse. Using clear, relatable imagery, she describes how rhinos act as “grassland gardeners,” maintaining open spaces, supporting predators and prey, enriching soil health, and enabling entire ecological communities to thrive.

Sharon illustrates the global importance of keystone species through the dramatic restoration of Yellowstone National Park, where reintroducing wolves reversed nearly a century of ecological damage within just 28 years. She draws a parallel to South Africa’s Eastern Cape, where conservation pioneer Adrian Gardiner established Shamwari Private Game Reserve, rewilded degraded farmland, and reintroduced the Big Five, producing remarkable ecological recovery. These stories demonstrate that damaged ecosystems can be repaired when humans act intentionally and collectively.

In this fast paced highlight, Sharon Jessop asks a confronting opening question: is good good enough, or are you willing to strive for great and outstanding in your work and life. She distinguishes between motivation and purpose, describing motivation as the emotional spark that gets you started, while purpose and discipline form the driving force that keeps you going when the excitement wears off.

Sharon then challenges a common belief that knowledge alone is power. She argues that unused knowledge is powerless and reframes it as potential power. True power, she insists, comes from applied knowledge, where information is combined with deliberate action. Knowledge plus action equals power becomes a core takeaway.

She encourages viewers to understand not only their own personality and communication style, but also those of others. For agents and professionals dealing with many different people, this awareness becomes a key that unlocks influence, represented in her talk by a golden key symbolizing power and control over one’s own choices.

Sharon warns that comfort is dangerous, describing it as something that drains life and potential. She reminds the audience that pursuing meaningful goals will not be easy, but it will be worth it. She recommends reframing problems as challenges, because challenges invite problem solving, skill building, and resilience. Drawing on her experience with marathons and expeditions, she notes that high performers develop the ability to approach difficulties creatively rather than feeling defeated by them.