ABOUT THE TRUST
The Little Optimist Trust was established in 2017 by Greg Bertish and is a registered Trust, Public Benefit Organisation, NPO, and has section 18A tax status in RSA and a fiscal partner 501(c)(3) platform in the USA.
In 2001, at the age of 30, Greg was infected with a rare tropical bacterium and spent years fighting for his life. After three major infections, two open-heart surgeries, and 200 days in the hospital, he beat the odds and has gone on to inspire thousands of people around the world through his adventures, talks, and altruistic endeavors. In April 2016, he sailed an 8-foot children’s dinghy around the Cape of Storms, his 200 km journey matching the 200 days he spent in the hospital fighting the life-threatening heart infection. He raised over $100,000 to upgrade and paint the ICU at the Red Cross War Memorial Hospital.
Since then, the Trust has renovated and upgraded 10 more under-resourced places of healing and learning in South Africa. In 2021, they launched the groundbreaking Sailing Therapy Academy in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa. Their programs and work in the mental health space have been recognized and awarded by the Dame Charity Awards in Amsterdam in 2019, the Paris Olympics Impact Through Sport organization in 2021, Laureus Foundation Incubation Hub in 2024, and as a laureate and grant winner with the Olympic Organizing Council (IOC) Paris 2024.
Greg is also the co-founder and chairman of the internationally acclaimed Sharkspotter Programme, president of Clifton Lifesaving Club, and an ambassador for the National Sea Rescue Institute.
Through the power of optimism, The Little Optimist Trust inspires marginalized children in South Africa to SURVIVE and THRIVE!
We achieve this by fostering a growth mindset and developing resilience in children by:
- Sharing the teachings of The Little Optimist
- Sharing the personal experiences of real-life Little Optimists
- Through sailing therapy
- Through beautifying their places of healing and education
To learn more about the life changing work of The Little Optimist Trust, visit www.thelittleoptimisttrust.org