Cancer-Surviving Surfer Boosts the Resilience of Over 2 Million South Africans During Mental Health Month

Now, he wants you to join him in spreading resilience further.

Conn Bertish’s recent South African Seriaaas!! Mental Resilience Project supported over 2 million South Africans with more than 21 strategies to become happier, healthier, more resilient, and harder to kill this November during Mental Health Awareness Month!

“Wow, it was intense and incredible!” says Conn Bertish, South Africa’s leading resilience expert, a cancer survivor, big wave surfer, Fear Factor winner, and Creative Resilience mentor, who hosted a marathon of 21 free webinars for all South Africans every workday last month.

To mark Mental Health Awareness Month, the South African Mental Resilience Project launched a nationwide campaign aimed at empowering individuals with essential tools to build mental strength. The project provided 21 live-streamed webinars each weekday throughout October, making expert mental health strategies accessible to everyone.

Conn’s team collaborated with billboard companies, designers, social media experts, and purposeful local brands such as CANSA.org, Sanlam, FedHealth, the Lekker Network, and Tractor Media to invest in the mental resilience of South Africans.

“While our country’s resilience has been reignited by the achievements of our sporting icons, like the Springboks and our incredible Olympians, it is time to harness this national spirit and channel it into mental well-being,” Conn stated, explaining his motivation for launching this initiative to provide practical tools to help South Africans face daily challenges with greater mental strength and positivity.

21 Tools to Build Mental Resilience

Every workday from 1 pm to 2 pm, South Africans could tune in to free, live webinars on YouTube, where experts shared strategies for building mental resilience. From mindful eating to creative expression, each session provided actionable insights to enhance mental health.

The key highlights of the 21 Mental Resilience Tools included:

1. Agile Humans Are Harder to Kill – Learn key principles of adaptability and mental strength.
2. Gratitude Hacking – Shift your mindset and enhance emotional resilience by focusing on what you have, rather than what you lack.
3. Resilience Through Play – Discover how play can relieve stress and boost creativity.
4. Positive Self-Talk – Master reframing negative thoughts for greater self-belief.
5. Curating Digital Resilience – Learn how to optimise your phone for better mental health.

The project’s reach to over 2 million South Africans was achieved through an extraordinary collaboration with billboard companies, artists, writers, and businesses that came together to spread these tools to the nation.

“We have such a rich and beautiful culture of laughing and playing in the face of challenges,” Conn said. “It is a rare and wonderful asset to our ongoing resilience and momentum as a country.”

“I want us all to spread this culture and invite others to join the resilience movement! If we do that, we are literally unstoppable!”

Conn Bertish: From Brain Cancer Survivor to Global Resilience Thought Leader

The South African Mental Resilience Project was spearheaded by Conn Bertish, a renowned creative resilience and purpose strategist and brain cancer survivor. Diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour, Conn turned his recovery journey into a groundbreaking personal mission. He fought cancer not only with medical treatment but also by employing the science of psychoneuroimmunology, using positive cognitive therapy and mind-body exercises to enhance both his mental resilience and his physical healing.

Following his recovery, Bertish expanded his resilience programme to assist not only cancer patients but also large corporate environments, helping some of the world’s biggest brands, including Google, Nestlé, Red Bull, Merck, Coca-Cola, and the Shoprite Group, to equip their teams with tried-and-tested mental resilience strategies. His work has taken him to stages in New York, Italy, the UK, Berlin, France, Romania, Spain, India, Mauritius, and more, where he has delivered workshops empowering employees, leaders, and businesses alike.

Now, Bertish is focusing his global achievements back on South Africa. Inspired by the resilience of the country’s sporting champions and everyday heroes, he aims to democratise mental resilience training with initiatives like the South African Mental Resilience Project, which makes his resilience tools accessible to all.

Notes

The South African Mental Resilience Project is a national initiative offering free, live-streamed webinars during Mental Health Awareness Month. The project aims to equip South Africans with the tools needed to build mental resilience, supported by a robust media campaign and backed by leading brands.