I’m the eldest of four kids from Portsmouth, and, growing up, we’d all fight for our father’s attention by trying to impress him in our endeavours, whether that was playing sports or singing. That competitive nature stayed with me – I’ve always enjoyed boxing and rugby, and when I joined the Royal Naval Reserve, I took part in a field gun competition, racing with antique guns through a number of obstacles.
That’s where I met my friend Ginge, who holds the record for the fastest climb of every peak in Africa. He co-founded the Edgar Evans Club in 2015 for ex-service personnel to take part in eccentric events in sleepy towns across the UK and raise money for local charities. Perhaps the weirdest was the Elver Eating World Championships in Gloucestershire – the eels were cooked with butter and garlic, and were actually quite tasty. I came second, but I wanted to win, so I told Ginge I should compete in something more suited to my skills.
