Adventurer and endurance athlete, Brando Yelavich has redefined the limits of human potential through a life committed to exploration and survival in the world’s harshest environments.
At just 19 years old, Brando became the first person to circumnavigate the entire coastline of New Zealand on foot—a 600-day, 8700-kilometre odyssey of resilience and transformation. Driven by a desire to escape a downward spiral and overcome personal struggles with depression, Brando embraced the wild as his teacher. He traversed beaches, forests, cliffs and rivers, often living entirely off the land—catching wild game, foraging native plants, and surviving storms, injury and solitude. His epic trek raised funds for Ronald McDonald House, a cause close to his heart.
Fuelled by the life-changing clarity gained on that first journey, Brando continued to test the boundaries of endurance and self-reliance. He survived alone for 30 days on Stewart Island, covering 570km through dense, isolated bush. He then skied 600km across the Greenland icecap in 33 days and kayaked 4780km around Vancouver Island over 72 days. In 2019, he became the first person to cycle west to east across the Australian desert, pedalling 5555km in 130 days of brutal heat and arid wilderness.
Brando’s achievements have earned him national recognition, including the Kiwibank Local Hero Award (2015), a nomination for New Zealander of the Year (2014), and the Warrant Officer of the Defence Force Award for leadership (2013).
Despite facing learning challenges with dyslexia and ADHD, Brando is also a best-selling author. His debut book Wildboy, recounting his NZ coastal journey, received the 2016 Children & Young Adults Choice Award. He has since published two more books, each echoing his message of grit, growth and the raw power of nature.
Brando Yelavich continues to live life on the edge—exploring, writing and redefining what it means to be wild.
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Brando Yelavich | Wildboy
Brando Yelavich is a young explorer from New Zealand who, on the 24th of August 2014, was the first person to walk the coastline of New Zealand (8700km over 600 days). Since then, Brando has completed numerous self-supported adventures around the globe.How I Walked Back into my Life | Brando Yelavich | TEDxYouth@AvonRiver
From treading the tightrope between drugs and disaster to conquering New Zealand's vast coastline, Brando Yelavich has come a long way. Here, he shares the adventures and the knowledge those experiences have given him in a deeply personal talk about growth, personal responsibility, and everything in between. It's an emotional journey, and an inspiring call to take control and to own our own lives. Brando Yelavich was 19 when he started out on his quest to become the first person to walk the entire coastline of New Zealand. 600 days and 8000km of self-propelled travel later, he made it (after nearly drowning). Living off 'the land, the sea and the kindness of others', Brando has seen our environment in a way few have been able to glimpse. His adventures were published in a book bearing his nickname: "Wildboy".He captivated the audience of 30 young professionals from the very start with his honest & down to earth presentation. Well actually it wasn't really a presentation, it was more of an unmas ... keep reading RYLA
We were looking for a speaker who could offer something very different to the 'usual' corporate speech....and Brando delivered 100%. An outstanding young guy and we'll be following his future with genuine interest.
The high level of engagement Brando created with his address and story was exemplified by the extended question time. Rotarians have seen and heard many stories and Brando's ability to cut through and tell an honest and captivating story is a real credit to Brando.
The team loved his presentation and Brando! He gave 100% and was adept at presenting online. He walked us through his adventures and journey of self-discovery, describing how it helped him overcome depression to get his life back on track. His presentation particularly resonated with parents in our team, but all enjoyed his story, honesty and courage.
Fantastic speaker, really takes you on a journey which makes it easy to relate.
Listening to Brando Yelavich has reminded me of what true courage is all about! He kept us spell bound and fully engaged as he gifted us with insights into the survival extremes, close-to-life-ending situations, the life wisdoms and the humor he learned and experienced within his 600 day journey around the coast of NZ. I Would recommend others of all ages listen, because I believe all will benefit from giving him air time
