Susan Harrison-Tustain is humbled and honoured to be included in a new book that celebrates “53 inspirational New Zealanders who dare to dream”. The book is the result of a collaboration between New Zealander of the Year (2010), Sir Ray Avery, television journalist and interviewer Cameron Bennett and noted photographer Adrian Malloch.

Sir Ray Avery is the author of the best-selling autobiography Rebel with a Cause, which charted his rise from street kid to knighthood. He is the CEO of the award-winning development agency Medicine Mondiale which manages a global network of Scientific, Clinical and business  experts who donate their knowledge and time to develop medical solutions which make quality healthcare accessible to everyone.Sir Ray was the recipient of the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Award 2010, The Blake Leadership Medal 2010 and Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2011 New Year honours list for services to philanthropy.

“Nobody is as clever as all of us” is one of Sir Ray Avery’s key philosophies — the importance of teamwork and harnessing the talents of a group. The book is a celebration of 53 New Zealanders who are extraordinary in their own fields, both locally and internationally. Drawn from many activities — science, business, writing, film, sport, art, technology — each person is a high achiever and a risk taker. At the book launch in Auckland, Sir Ray said “I wanted this book to focus on the people who play on the world stage and do incredible things for New Zealand. The people who were selected for the book had excelled across a range of fields and deserved to be recognized for their work.”

Susan Harrison-Tustain feels incredibly honoured and humbled to have been asked to feature in this book of New Zealand achievers.“This is a compelling book. Looking from the reader’s perspective it is immensely inspiring to see how ‘ordinary’ people have dared to believe in their dreams and have made them happen. But more than that – these are ‘ordinary’ people with extraordinary passions; people who have kept their feet on the ground through the hard work and the successes, the knock-backs and the surges forward. These are Kiwis and this book will be an inspiration to all who read it. It is not just for New Zealanders – it is universal. It is one of those books you will not want to put down. The message is that we can all reach our goals – and beyond – it is just a matter of daring to take flight. “After reading this book, it is hard to imagine how anyone could use the words ‘I can’t’ ever again” says Susan.