Susan Berg

Susan Berg is a speaker, author, open-water swimmer and meditation teacher. At 15 she was the only survivor of a boating accident that took the lives of her parents and older brother. She went on to spend many years in self-destruction and hopelessness before finding the tools to heal her heart and find happiness within herself. She tells that story in her autobiography, "The Girl Who Lived," published in 2015.

Her recovery has included facing a fear of water that she carried for more than 30 years. After 14 months of training, much of it at sunrise with an open-water coach who works with people who have water phobia, she swam the 1.2km Lorne Pier to Pub in January 2017, raising funds for domestic violence. She has since swum "The Rip" at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay, completed a 4-person relay of the English Channel in 2018, and swum the 19.7km Rottnest Channel solo in 2020.

Susan guides mindful and relaxation meditations on Insight Timer, aimed at a more peaceful and fulfilling life. She also leads workshops and retreats for women, teaches people to work toward their goals step by step, and speaks publicly about triumph over trauma. In 2022 she moved to Montenegro and founded Ocean Blue Swimming Tours, which offers swimming holidays in Boka Bay and the Mediterranean Sea. Their aim is to bring people who love open water together and build lasting friendships.

Susan believes everyone deserves a joyful life, whatever they have faced. As she puts it, "Stepping outside of my comfort zone has made me a happier and more resilient person." Her mission is to help others confront their fears and embrace the beauty of life.