Diederik Wolsak

Diederik is the founder and program director of Choose Again.Diederik’s journey started in 1942 on the island of Java, Indonesia.He spent the first three years of his life in Japanese concentration camps.Many of his core beliefs were developed during that early, potentially traumatic phase.At age 8 he was sent to a foster home in Holland and by the time he rejoined his parents and brothers two years later he was filled with self-hatred and fear of the world around him.This self-hatred, fear, and guilt translated into prolonged alcohol and drug abuse till finally at age 50 he reached that point where he realized that there had to be a better way or there would be no point in continuing.While his self-hatred drove him to be a successful businessman and international athlete, it allowed him little joy.