Dr. Greg Wells was a 15-year-old competitive swimmer when his neck was broken by strong ocean waves. After neurosurgery, he was told by doctors that he would never compete again. That set him on a lifetime journey to learn how the human body responds to extreme conditions.
Dr. Wells is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto where he studies elite sports performance. He also serves as a Senior Scientist in Translational Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children. He leads the Exercise Medicine Research Program, and he and his team explore how to use exercise to prevent, diagnose, and treat chronic illnesses in children.
Dr. Wells has studied athletic performance in places like the Andes Mountains and the Sahara Desert, some of the most extreme climates on earth. He has coached, trained, and inspired athletes to compete in and earn medals at World Championships, the Commonwealth Games, and the Olympics.
In additional to his countless professional and academic achievements, Dr. Wells has not only recovered fully from his past injuries but completely surpassed all expectations. He has competed in events such as the Nanisivik Marathon, a marathon that takes place 600-miles north of the Arctic Circle, Ironman Canada, and the Tour D’Afrique, a grueling 11,000-kilometre event that is the longest bike race in the world.
Dr. Wells is a sought-after speaker and accomplished author of three best-selling books, Superbodies, The Ripple Effect, and The Focus Effect. He specializes in presentations that explore the endlessly interesting topic of human performance and has spoken at high profile events such as TEDx and the Titan Summit, alongside Sir Richard Branson, Robin Sharma, and Steve Wozniak.
Dr. Wells is a frequent contributor to The Globe and Mail and has been an expert source to other top media outlets like USA Today, ABC News, “20/20,” The Discovery Channel, TSN, CBC, and CTV. He also served as the sports medicine analyst for the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium for the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games.