Captivated by nature from an early age, I was always outside in London parks and woods with my parents and brother. Our family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where adventure, mountains, rugby and bike racing filled my days and imagination. Seven years as a competitive cyclist fifty races won and a national championship… I raced throughout Europe and spent two seasons racing in the Cote d’ Azur region and in Brittany, France with Peugeot/Sprinter club d'e Nice.

Between 1988 and 92, a thirst for adventure and learning led me to service as an officer and paratrooper in The Parachute Regiment (The PARAS), Britain’s elite airborne infantry regiment and strike force. I enjoyed the training, challenges and new skills learned, as well as useful lessons on safety, security and the power of teamwork and community.

Moving to the US in 1992, I pursued a career in the outdoor industry beginning with seven years with market leader ~ Specialized Bikes. This was about as non-corporate of a job as possible, but the call of the wild was stronger than the pull of business. After a hiatus and a summer of exploring the North Cascades and Alaska Range, I was lucky to land a spot in Guide Training School with The American Alpine Institute. I was hooked, and for the next several years worked as a climbing instructor and expedition leader for some of the top US climbing schools, working in Alaska, North and South America as well as East Africa, Europe and UK.

A job of travel and outdoor leadership was certainly living a dream, yet my passion towards athletic coaching was strong. Mountain climbing was beginning to become a mainstream sport in North America in early 2000’s, but there were few structured training programs for the sport. Leaning on endurance training methods and seeking mentorship from leading athletic coaches and high-altitude medical professionals, in 2003 I formed a team and created a training service called ‘adventX’ (adventure + exercise) for climbers and outdoor athletes. One of the first structured training programs for mountaineers, I worked with leading guide services and athletic coaching organisations to boost climber success and to publish a program called ‘Fit To Climb’ with Rainier Mountaineering Inc in 2006.

Teaming up with The Mountaineers Book Publishing Company, the world leader in mountaineering and wilderness publishing; My team and I published Fit By Nature in 2011, followed by the book Fit To Climb in 2018. Still continuing to guide in North and South America as well as East Africa, many leading US corporations and non profits incorporated Fit By Nature training for groups and inspirational events. I presented at Fortune 500 companies, and leading non-profits as well as consulted on wellness programs in the corporate sector as well as business development in the Health and Fitness industry. For the book tour of Fit By Nature, sponsored by Raleigh Bikes, I rode my bike from Seattle to Washington DC doing fitness and cycling events in towns and bookstores across the USA.

In 2017 I decided on a haitus from guiding and a deep-dive into learning the health and social benefits of spending time in nature. An research-adventure was called for and I decided on a long walk, following in the footsteps of the pioneers of the Environmental Movement and National Parks. Over ten months, I took a solo walk from the Mexico/US border, to Mount Rainier and onto Seattle; along the way, took many detours, climbing a dozen major peaks in Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges on a 3000 mile journey using the Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail, Mountains to Sound Greenway, Timberline Trail and many more. The walk took me across five national parks, twenty two wilderness areas, through endless sunrises in the vast wilderness of the Western United States. My research and observations will be published in the upcoming book, Trailblazer.

Post covid 19 pandemic, we have all seen changes in our lives and society. I have found a new urgency and focus towards health and fitness, both through coaching and by leading outdoor adventures and experiences around the world.

Simple coaching programs, borrowed training techniques and the outdoor tour guide industry have changed a lot. New science, especially neuroscience and discoveries about the power of nature for physical and mental health make today’s coaching more exciting and with cutting edge electronic and biofeedback tools to measure results - it’s getting easier than ever to get in amazing shape and book a wild adventure around the world.

Join me for a coffee, chat about your goals or join an team on Kilimanjaro, Camino de Santiago, in Hawaii, Scotland and western USA.

If you’d like to do a complimentary fitness evaluation/consultation to make a plan for your adventure and fitness journey. You can reach me by sending a message on this site or completing this worksheet.