Newcastle’s Brett Shuttleworth and ex-Springbok Joe van Niekerk know what it feels like to achieve what many people spend their lives pursuing.

For Brett, the journey began in KwaZulu-Natal and took him from professional rugby to international modelling, Hollywood and global recognition.

For Joe, it was a celebrated rugby career that included more than 50 Springbok caps and the captaincy of French giants RC Toulon.

From the outside, both men appeared to have reached the pinnacle of their respective fields. However, behind the achievements were personal journeys of challenge, reflection and transformation.

Today, Brett and Joe work together as facilitators for Retreats In The Wild, the transformational retreat division of African Monarch Journeys.

Through their work, they guide individuals, teams and organisations through experiences shaped by the lessons they have learned along their own paths.

Finding purpose through personal challenges

Brett Shuttleworth grew up in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, before embarking on a diverse career that saw him become a professional rugby player, actor, international model and one of South Africa’s recognised consciousness teachers.

While the public witnessed his success, Brett’s personal journey included periods of profound difficulty, including homelessness, heartbreak and a loss of identity.

Those experiences became the foundation of the work he does today.

Over more than two decades, Brett has developed a body of work focused on conscious living, self-awareness and personal transformation. Through his Seven Sacred Miracles framework, he has helped individuals, leadership teams and organisations reconnect with clarity, purpose and authenticity.

“Crossing the river from the outside world to the inside world is where and how you discover your true self,” said Brett.

Joe’s journey moves beyond the rugby field

Joe van Niekerk’s path followed a different route but ultimately led him to a similar destination.

One of South Africa’s respected rugby players, Joe enjoyed a successful international career before retiring from professional sport in 2014.

After rugby, he entered a period of deep personal exploration that took him beyond the sporting arena.

Through years of study and practice in breathwork, somatic healing, meditation and indigenous ceremonial traditions, Joe began exploring the connection between physical performance, emotional well-being and authentic leadership.

Today, he works as a trauma-healing coach, breathwork facilitator and embodied leadership practitioner, helping people understand how resilience, presence and performance are developed from within.

“Performance without alignment leads to collapse. When body, mind and spirit are connected, extraordinary results follow,” said Joe.

Transforming experience into meaningful work

Although their stories differ, Brett and Joe share a common belief: sustainable success begins with self-awareness.

This philosophy guides their work through Retreats In The Wild, where participants are encouraged to step away from everyday pressures and reconnect with themselves through immersive experiences designed to inspire personal insight and growth.

The same principles form the foundation of The Ultimate Breakthrough Experience, a leadership and performance methodology delivered through Retreats In The Wild by African Monarch Journeys.

Drawing from experiences in elite sport, personal adversity and years of inner work, Brett and Joe support leadership teams, executives and organisations seeking greater resilience, alignment, behavioural change and sustainable performance.

Their programmes have been delivered to organisations across sectors including telecommunications, financial services, hospitality and consumer health, highlighting a growing understanding that effective leadership development is about more than knowledge, it is about human experience.

Returning to KwaZulu-Natal

This July, Brett and Joe will return to KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast as facilitators for the Durban Awakening Retreat at Salt Rock Hotel in Ballito, one of the experiences offered through Retreats In The Wild.

For Brett, returning to his home province represents another chapter in a journey that has taken him around the world and back to the work he believes matters most; helping others navigate change, rediscover purpose and reconnect with themselves.

For both men, success is no longer measured only by achievements or recognition. Instead, it is found in living with greater presence, authenticity and alignment; and sharing those lessons with others.

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