George Kourounis

George Kourounis is one of the world's most active storm chasers, a renowned global adventurer, explorer, and television presenter. He has battled the jungles of Rwanda, swam with Great White sharks in Mexico, and kayaked with whales in Antarctica, among countless other incredible adventures. Kourounis started chasing tornadoes and other storms over 13 years ago and has continued to expand his explorations to include all types of extreme natural phenomena.

Kourounis’ efforts to document nature's worst weather conditions and extreme environments have taken him all over the globe, into places most normal people flee from. Whether it's a tornado outbreak in Kansas, a monster hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, forest fires in British Columbia, or an erupting volcano, Kourounis can be found in the middle of the action with his camera rolling. His voyages have been seen around the world on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic Explorer, BBC-TV, CNN, and his own Gemini Award nominated adventure TV program, Angry Planet, which is broadcast in over 35 countries.

Kourounis’ explorations of our planet have included some truly unique experiences. In January 2005, he brought his camera to the remote Danakil Depression in the harsh Ethiopian desert and was lowered 60 feet into the smoking crater of the active Erta Ale volcano. He spent a half hour filming on top of the freshly hardened surface of the lava lake wearing a protective heat suit. This event made him the first person to have ever filmed from the inside of three of world's most fearsome forces - inside a tornado, inside the eye of a hurricane, and inside an active volcano. While filming Hurricane Katrina in Jackson, Mississippi, the city around him disintegrated in the incredible winds and storm surge.

In 2007, Kourounis became the first person to ever rig ropes across the Boiling Lake in Dominica and explore it from above. In 2009, he was able to set foot on the newest land on Earth when an undersea volcanic eruption created a new island near the south pacific nation of Tonga. One of his most memorable explorations was to the recently discovered Naica Crystal Cave in Mexico. This surreal place is a hidden chamber 300 meters below the Earth's surface which is home to the world's largest crystals, some of which are almost 12 meters long.

Kourounis is a member of the Explorers Club, the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and The Canadian Council for Geographic Education.

By sharing his adventures with the world, Kourounis hopes to inspire people to break out of their routines and do things that they may consider a little bit scary.

• 1. Facing Any Storm

  What does it take to succeed, even when faced with a "storm" of challenges? George compares his storm chasing and eco-exploration experiences to the types of challenges we all face. He uses the lessons learned from his own life or death adventures in the worlds most remote places to articulate down-to-earth strategies for meeting the challenges of challenging times.
  
  By drawing the analogy between the challenge of facing the most dangerous weather conditions in the world and the equal challenge of whatever professional or personal hardships you face, this presentation lends special focus to the challenges facing us all in these uncertain times and is augmented with dramatic video clips and stunning photography from around the world.
  
  As a professional speaker, George draws parallels on his experiences from setting goals, taking risks and living facing countless "storms" both figurative and literal.

• 2. Flirting with Disaster

  Most people try to minimize the amount of risk they face in their lives. George explains why this way of thinking rarely produces great results and how your comfort zone is a terrible place to be.
  
  Society today seems to shun risk as much as possible, but this only leads to a vast propagation of mediocrity. It is only when we embrace our fears and use them a motivating force instead of crippling us into inaction, that we are really able to achieve great things that we never thought possible.
  
  George relates how he has been able to manage risk, fear and reward in some of the most hostile and dangerous environments where risk takes on true life or death meaning. These lessons can be directly transposed onto daily decision making in all areas of our lives.

• 3. Chasing Dreams

  George's experience facing down extreme weather and natural disasters is unparalleled. In this presentation he describes his scariest and most rewarding experiences and how they have sculpted his outlook on the world.
  
  “Chasing Dreams,” is an inspiring, personal chronicle of George's quest to encounter and study some of the most awesome and powerful forces of nature. With a colorfully-detailed multimedia presentation, featuring actual video clips from many of his adventures, Mr. Kourounis will demonstrate how and why he tests his own physical endurance to pursue and understand the forces of nature that affect our planet and the life inhabiting it.
  
  Supplemented with thrilling video and stunning photography, George's audience is swept up and brought along on a world wide thrill ride from the depths of erupting volcanoes to the path of oncoming tornadoes, from the beachfront of a hurricane landfall to the hottest and coldest places on Earth.
  Awe inspiring, educational , inspirational and entertaining, George's unique experiences, and his zeal for sharing his adventures will have you audience on the edge of their seat one minute, then laughing at his equally epic misadventures the next.

• 4. Making Fear Disappear

  Some consider George to be fearless, but nothing could be further from the truth. George demonstrates how fear and change are forces to be embraced and welcomed.
  
  Bravery is not about the absence of fear... It's about being afraid to do something, and doing it anyway.
  
  It takes a certain kind of person to drive into the eye of a hurricane, to dangle from a rope over a steaming volcano or to jump into a pond with thousands of hungry piranhas, and although George has done all these things (and much more), he was not without fear. By understanding why we are afraid to do something and by analyzing the possible outcomes, he shows that fear is not only something that can be managed & controlled, it is a vital element to accomplishing anything worthwhile.
  
  Whether in business, personal challenges or extreme exploration, fear is what gives us an edge. It is that force that keeps us in check and without it, we are prone to making reckless decisions.

• At the Ontario Science Centre, our "Meet the Stormchaser" program featuring George Kourounis was a huge success. The multi-media, the stories, the interaction with our visitors, all far surpassed our expectations. George wove excellent science content into his presentation and worked well with our staff, visitors and media. We look forward to having George back for special programs in the future.

  Ontario Science Centre

• Attending George's lectures is always exciting, informative and entertaining. He connects with his audience on many levels, ultimately giving us exactly what we hoped for and more!

  R.I.S.E. Up! Lectures and Workshops

• What a refreshing and fascinating presentation; one that should be shared with all! George's use of video clips and photos during the presentation added to the excitement of his stories and really captivated the audience. Students continued to reference his presentation throughout the day, a true testament to the impact his presentation had on Conestoga College Students.
  
  We thank you George for sharing your amazing experiences with us.

  Conestoga College

• George's enthusiasm, attention to detail, and work ethic made working with him a very positive and impactful experience. He is able to pull you into his stories of adventure and exploration, and readily challenges audiences to reflect upon their self-imposed limitations. Having a recognizable storyteller of his caliber continuously and personally engage with the entire audience in such a unique and personal way is a rare treat. I would highly recommend working with George and would happily work with him again.

  TEDxNipissingU

• George Kourounis is a top notch speaker who truly cares about pushing his audience to new levels of success. As a man who has taken risks that most of can hardly fathom, George has the authority to demand higher standards from those who are lucky enough to see him speak. I highly recommend George Kourounis to anyone looking for big results.

  Stuart Knight Productions

• 
  We recently had the privilege of having George present at our conference for Emergency Management professionals. George's passion for nature was clearly evident throughout his session and kept the audience engaged with his stories and images. How he tied his experiences in to meet the needs of this particular audience was excellent. Despite having celebrity recognition, his modest approach to his experiences drew the audience into his adventures. His session was ranked one of the best by the audience of the three day conference.
   
  I would strongly recommend George to be part of any Conference or as a public speaker at an event. While being engaged as an audience, people will walk away with a greater appreciation for the forces on this planet and the delicate balance we as people share with nature.

  Canadian Red Cross

• It was a wonderful opportunity for the community to understand more about your fascinating work and passion. We have received positive comments about this event and your presence was a terrific addition and provided a unique insight for our community.

  Innisfil Public Library

• Our group was privileged to hear about your unique experiences as a storm chaser and explorer! Your presentation was certainly exciting and engaging, of course all enhanced by your wonderful photos and videos. The praise from our Top 40 recipients for your content was high.

  Caldwell Partners