Carina Bruwer is an internationally recognised keynote speaker, record-breaking open-water marathon swimmer, award-winning musician and entrepreneur whose extraordinary career has been defined by resilience, reinvention, courage and pushing beyond perceived limitations.
One of Africa’s most accomplished open-water swimmers, Carina has completed 30+ marathon swims and achieved 10 world-first crossings, tackling some of the world’s most challenging waters, including the English Channel and Straits of Gibraltar. She has been recognised by the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) among the world’s most daring open-water swimmers and is a recipient of the Lewis Pugh Trophy for Outstanding Swim of the Year.
Alongside her sporting achievements, Carina is the founder and leader of award-winning instrumental group Sterling EQ. Her music career spans more than 2,000 performances across 20+ countries, with major accolades including a South African Music Award (SAMA), Ghoema Music Award and Huisgenoot Tempo Award.
Carina is also an entrepreneur and technology founder. Her ventures include Gigster, a technology marketplace platform which she rebuilt using AI-assisted development — adding a powerful contemporary dimension to her presentations around adaptability, innovation, disruption and navigating change.
Signature Keynote – The Art of Turning the Tide
Drawing on three decades of extraordinary experiences across elite sport, music, entrepreneurship and technology, Carina explores how individuals and organisations can remain focused, adaptable and high-performing when circumstances change around them.
Her keynote addresses:
- Resilience & performing under pressure
- Navigating change and uncertainty
- Reinvention & adaptability
- Fear, courage & calculated risk
- High-performance mindset
- Innovation & embracing disruption
- Leadership through change
- Turning setbacks into momentum
Carina’s keynote incorporates storytelling from her extreme ocean crossings, business journey and international music career — and can include a memorable live electric-flute performance woven into the presentation.
Highlights & Awards
- 10+ world-first open-water swimming achievements
- 30+ marathon swims
- Completed the English Channel & Straits of Gibraltar
- Named among WOWSA’s Top 50 daring and courageous open-water swimmers
- Recipient of the Lewis Pugh Trophy
- SuperSport Champion Award
- Founder of Swim for Hope
- Has raised significant funds for children’s and charitable causes through her swimming
- Founder & leader of Sterling EQ
- South African Music Award (SAMA) winner
- Ghoema Music Award winner
- Huisgenoot Tempo Award winner
- 2,000+ musical performances across 20+ countries
- Founder & CEO of technology platform Gigster
- Featured by CNN African Voices
- International keynote speaker working with corporate and leadership audiences globally
Speaking Themes
Resilience | Transformation | Change | Reinvention | Courage | High Performance | Innovation | AI & Adaptability | Leadership | Breaking Limits
Carina brings an unusual combination of real-world endurance, creative achievement and entrepreneurial experience to the conference stage. Rather than speaking about resilience and transformation purely in theory, she draws on experiences where adapting, managing fear and continuing under extreme pressure have been essential to achieving the outcome.
Her ability to combine powerful storytelling, practical insights and live musical performance makes her particularly suited to leadership conferences, women’s events, transformation programmes, sales conferences, corporate kick-offs and organisations navigating significant change.
