Hein Wagner spoke at our international Leadership Conference and his life story is truly impressive. He invested ample time in aligning his presentation with our goals for the meeting and touched all of us with his powerful lessons learned, his drive, his energy and his great sense of humour. The guided run with Hein in the early morning on the day of his presentation, is one I will never forget. It is always hard to find a motivational speaker that appeals to a global audience, but Hein had us all hanging on his every word

I have attended some dozens of virtual events over the past years but last week, right after your session, it was the first time I experienced participants standing up and giving a round of applause to the speaker in a virtual event. I am extremely thankful for you gifting us, 200+ colleagues from 20+ countries, with inspiration to turn obstacles into opportunities

Thank you Hein. Your talk was beautifully synergistic with our conference theme – to get to where you need to be – be prepared to work for it and believe. That we can achieve it. And your themes of being bold and brave enough. The only thing worse than being blind is having sight without vision. And I believe that we’ve set the North Star. It appears that your blindness was not a challenge but an opportunity for a vibrant life. And that actually there is always a way to get things done if you really want to especially from a sensorial pov. Thank you for your lessons of persistence, appreciation, chasing your dreams; trust; and giving what you’ve got. most importantly your sense of humour. You have inspired us to be a better version of ourselves. As an able bodied person I can do more and be more. Anything is clearly possible.

Wow. Everything was perfect. From the very first meeting with you in ZOOM as well as your keynote. The audience was incredibly captivated and inspired by your story. We look forward to working with you more often. Thank you so much for everything.

Hein Wagner Taught Me About Seeing the World Without Eyes

There are encounters in life that change you forever. Not because of what you see, but because of what you feel. That’s how I would describe my experience meeting Hein Wagner, a man born blind in South Africa whose vision of the world far surpasses that of many who walk through life with their eyes wide open.

Hein didn’t realise he was blind until he was six or seven years old. Not because anything had changed in his body, but because society made sure to point it out. It was the outside world that told him: “you can’t see.” But before that revelation, Hein simply lived. He felt the sun on his skin, the wind on his face, and the sounds of the world as part of a whole that didn’t need to be seen to be understood. It moves me deeply to imagine that child who had no awareness of a “limitation”—because, in truth, he didn’t feel limited. His story is a wake-up call to all of us who live with excuses.

Hein studied IT, competes in triathlons, and even broke the land speed record for driving a car while blind. But beyond these tangible achievements, what impacted me most was his charisma, his energy, his way of being in the world. Hein doesn’t ask for pity. Quite the opposite—he disarms it and turns it into admiration. He doesn’t play the victim; he lives with purpose. With love, determination, and a powerful message: if what you carry inside is genuine and you truly believe in it, it will inevitably radiate outward.

I remember the moment he arrived at our congress where he was a speaker. People around him instantly changed their behaviour upon realising he was blind. They lowered their voices, approached with a mix of caution and protectiveness. And yet, Hein—with confidence and humour—quickly dismantled each of those gestures with his powerful presence. He showed not only that he is entirely capable of managing on his own, but also that he has more to give than many of us.

One story especially stayed with me: when he spoke of meeting someone who was both blind and deaf. In that moment, he introduced a concept I haven’t stopped reflecting on since—gratitude. Because even when we feel like we’re lacking something essential, there’s always something to be thankful for.

Hein doesn’t dwell on what he doesn’t have. He focuses on what he does. And in his case, that’s something vast. I’ll admit it: I’ve listened to hundreds of talks in my professional life. Some inspired me. Others taught me. But very few have moved me the way Hein Wagner’s did. His story is not just about overcoming obstacles. It’s about someone who invites us to rethink what it truly means to see. And sometimes, it’s the person who has never seen the world with their eyes who ends up showing us what really matters.

Thank you, Hein, for reminding me that true barriers don’t lie in the body—they exist in the mind. And that with gratitude, love, and determination, even the darkest places can be filled with light.