South-African born survivor of a twenty-eight-hour ordeal which found him alone in the shark-infested waters of the Indian Ocean, Brett Archibald has an incredibly traumatic and inspiring story to tell. In April 2013, after heading off to Indonesia on a surfing trip with a group of old school friends, they chartered a boat and headed out to the open ocean.
The 50 hours of travelling started to take their toll as the group were struck down by seasickness and food poisoning, and after stepping out onto the deck for some fresh air, Brett collapsed and fell overboard!
Since none of the group saw him fall, Brett’s friends and seemingly his last chance of survival drifted away. He was left isolated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, nearly one hundred miles away from any land and with almost no hope of rescue. Brett had to overcome many physical and mental hurdles during his fight for survival and he fought back from the brink of death on a number of occasions following encounters with seagulls, sharks, and jellyfish.
In his motivational talks, Brett runs through the mental and physical techniques he used to overcome the hardest of moments and ensure that 28 hours after entering the water, he was miraculously rescued in remarkably good physical condition. According to experts, Brett should have died within 10 to 14 hours! It is a truly inspiring story and one that all who listen to can take a great deal from and implement in their day to day lives.
Following his ordeal, Brett published a full account of what happened in the book aptly titled, Alone: the Search for Brett Archibald. A fantastic speaker in front of both large and small groups, Brett has an incredible story to tell and one which reveals his incredible focus, belief, determination and will to survive. It's enough to keep any audience fully captivated from start to finish.
