Serving almost 2 decades between them as Royal Marine Commandos, John & Ian left the forces and went looking for adventure. 'Summit To Sea' became their mission, a 5 stage journey across South America starting at Ecuador's highest mountain, and the highest point on earth, Chimborazo. Widely regarded as the source of the Amazon River, the team summited the mountain, and began the next stages of the journey, aiming to travel over 5000km along the Amazon. After conducting scientific research...

First introduced to the idea of a service life with a stint in the Air Cadets, David Atkin pursued a career with the RAF Regiment. Embarking on his first tour to Afghanistan in 2010, David suffered a career ending, and life changing spinal injury. Years of surgery and rehabilitation has followed, but David has gone on to achieve success in the Invictus Games, and is now working at the Military Preparation College for Training (MPCT) where he is guiding the next generation of potential armed...

A nasty injury aged 16 meant Sally Orange had to spend 9 months learning to walk again. During this time she learnt about the role of a physiotherapist, and set her goal to become one. Multiple applications & years later, Sally qualified and began her career with the NHS, before joining the TA. Eventually moving into a FTRS role, Sally deployed to Afghanistan to lead her team and develop courses to help wounded personnel recover from injury. Sally was medically discharged in 2019, and...

After a brief stint in the army, Lea Vaughan pursued her interest in the ambulance service. After completing the intense training and experiencing life on the ambulance, Lea progressed into a role with the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). This highly specialised role would lead to Lea and 2 colleagues being the only paramedics allowed into the blast-damaged Manchester Arena on the night of the tragic bombing. Lea and her colleagues triaged all of the victims still present in the foyer,...

Following a destiny in dance until the last moment, Georgie Smith joined the RAF in a HR role. Having joined to see the world, Georgie did just that, deploying on a Falklands tour & a role change in Afghanistan as a Detention Handler. Upon return from Afghanistan, Georgie noticed small changes with her health, which was eventually diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis (M.S) in 2015. Having passed Med-boards and classed fit to serve, Georgie returned to work and has continued to fight for the...

By his own admission, Neil Woods lived a sheltered life in his youth, and soon became aware of this in his early stages of police training. A rare opportunity in the form of an attachment to the drugs squad, led Neil into the covert world of undercover work. Quickly becoming an expert in his field, Neil excelled in his career, before feeling the negative effects of the work on his mental health. Follow This Podcast To Be Notified Of New Episodes, Visit Our Social Media Platforms &...

Driven by adventure, success and achieving her goals, Araba Cole has enjoyed an incredibly varied & action packed career. Joining the OTC at university before switching to the Royal Engineers so she could get out on the ground, Araba then left the army and joined the private security circuit. Switching again to roles with NGOs in Afghanistan, Araba has climbed the ladder to hold positions like Global Security Director, at some of the world's largest companies. Enjoying her new grown-up...

Adventurous from a young age, Jamie Hull travelled the world before returning to the UK to join Thames Valley Police. A career sabbatical led him to university, and it's Officer Training Corps. Having completed 2x Cambrian Patrols and achieving everything he could there, Jamie was put forward for SAS Reserve Selection, and joined 21 SAS aged 27. Jamie's passion for learning new skills led him to Florida where he would experience a life-changing plane crash that left him with 63% 3rd & 4th...

Joining the MET and securing an immediate transfer into Special Branch after his probation, Scott enjoyed a career in Anti-Terror units before returning to uniform heading up a specialist unit focused on preventing domestic homicides. A chance encounter led him into the high-stakes world of hostage negotiation and he has been involved in countless operations within the MET, and around the globe with his private employer. Scott now uses his vast psychology experience to coach, mentor and...

Enduring a scattered & abusive childhood at the hands of his step-father, Ricky was torn between joining the Royal Marines or the fire service, choosing the latter due to a poor fitness test performance at Lympstone. In 2017, Ricky, his watch, and 19 other crews, were called to the Grenfell Tower fire. Entering the burning high-rise multiple times that evening, Ricky went over & above his call of duty to aid the rescue of the residents of the towerblock. Now sharing his story of...

Inspired by his fathers military service & business acumen, Aaron ‘Rad’ Radl sold grilled cheeses where others sold lemonade, and started his own skateboard shop aged just 13. Theft from his store led Rad back to college & a stint in the US Airforce, before an injury returned him to civvy street. Following his passion for the military and outdoor pursuits, Rad has co-founded multiple airsoft stores & arenas, and runs huge wargames in the Utah ranges. A huge personality, Rad has...

Joining the Army aged just 16 after am abusive childhood, Amber Guymer-Hosking was quickly deployed to Afghanistan. Numerous mass casualty situations made for a difficult introduction into military life, and this high-pressure role took it's toll on both Amber & her partner, creating another difficult relationship in the process. Medically discharged with PTSD, Amber & her son were eventually left homeless. Amber now focuses her efforts on the same good causes & organisations that...

Joining the Royal Marines aged 18, and enjoying 7 overseas tours in his career, Rian Ilett turned down promotions to stay in the action. Advancing into an anti-tank & heavy weapons role, Rian and his team encountered a hijacked American anti-tank which left him requiring a medical check. The check revealed a mass on his brain, and Rian was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and given 12-15 months to live. Now 42 months past the end of his projected timeframe, Rian has since deployed...

Born & raised in Scotland, Lorraine Kelly pursued her passion for journalism and presenting throughout her formative years. Battling knock-backs & rejection from roles because of her accent, Lorraine eventually became a Scotland correspondent. This role would lead her to be the first news team to the site of the tragic Lockerbie Air Disaster, the deadliest terror attack in UK history... Follow This Podcast To Be Notified Of New Episodes, Visit Our Social Media Platforms &...

Walking into the Army careers office aged just 14, Robin joined the Parachute Regiment, and enjoyed his position into the regimental shooting team before joining 2 Para in Northern Ireland. Robin undertook the arduous SAS Selection course in 1979, and joined B Squadron 22 SAS in in time to be a part of the Iranian Embassy Siege in 1980. Sent on a one-way mission to Argentina during the Falklands war, which was luckily averted at the 11th hour, Robin then left the regiment and became bodyguard...

Born in Nepal, Krishna's parents had a dream for him to join the Gurkha Regiment before he was even born. A highly prestigious career, open to only 180 recruits from the 20K+ applicants, Krishna was successful and completed junior brecon, before attempting SAS Selection. In his 17 years in the regiment, Krishna has also led the world record attempt for servicemen summiting Mount Everest. Krishna was an integral part of Hari Budha Magar's summit, which was the the first double-above-the-knee...

Following in his late father's footsteps, Brian Short pursued a career in the Royal Marines from a young age, and soon enlisted to become a musician. The impending Falkland's war would lead Brian & his unit off on the Canberra to assist in their war-footing roles of prisoner guarding and guiding. Brian came back from the Falkland's with a unique piece of history, a signed thank you card from the Argentine prisoners he guarded on the ship, and has since written the best-selling book, 'The...

After enlisting and serving 9 years as a Grenadier Guardsman, John Richards experienced tours of Northern Ireland & The Falklands, before leaving to join the MET. After passing the Special Branch entrance exam, John found his way to the Royalty Protection unit, and enjoyed the remainder of his career travelling the world protecting ambassadors and politicians. John only lost one principle in his career, listen in to hear who it was.... Follow This Podcast To Be Notified Of New Episodes,...

Joining the Para's after a stint in agriculture, Simon Leak went on to undertake the arduous SAS Selection process. By his own admission, he scraped through the hills phase but rallied & completed selection, joining 22 SAS' A Squadron, Boat Troop. After enjoying a busy few years with the regiment, Simon became a DS, where he would go on to be part of the training team for our very own Big Phil! After leaving the regiment, Simon has since founded Big 5 Protection, offering valuable...

From an Army family, Dan Richards had decided aged 8 that the military was his calling. Disliking school and enduring bullying for his height, Dan visited the careers office aged 15, which would lead him into the King's Troop. A steep learning curve later, Dan quickly found himself looking for some more active tasking, and he was the first member of the King's Troop to deploy to Afghanistan. On his return, Dan suffered life-changing injuries in a motorcycle accident, and he was eventually...

Making his way through his schooling whilst battling with dyslexia, Ben first worked in a motorcycle dealership before joining the police was suggested to him by customers. Eventually going on to serve 19 years with West Yorkshire Police as a beat cop and later into the Road Traffic Unit, Ben featured on multiple seasons of Police Interceptors. Unfortunately, these years of service came at a cost to Ben's mental health, and he was medically retired from WYP, and now spends his time helping...

An abusive childhood led James Elliott into problematic schooling & teenage years, and led him to join the Army to escape his past and improve his future. Enjoying multiple roles both in and out of the Army, including Strength & Conditioning coach of Colchester rugby club, and becoming an APJI, James eventually found his calling as a resiliency coach. Attending summits for the Army, delivering training to Police Scotland and working with GB Paralympic teams, James is now a...

Having decided the military was his destiny at a young age, Dave Coleman persevered through his schooling whilst dealing with a stammer he developed. Dave credits his time in the Royal Marines and their training methods for helping him to improve his confidence and ability to perform under pressure. After a grenade blast on tour, Dave picked up some injuries and an Afghan flesh eating disease, and has since gone on to launch a training business to help potential recruits build the skills...

After completing basic training and joining the King's Own Royal Border Regiment, Mark Harding went on to experience multiple tours during his time in the Infantry. Shot in the neck by a sniper, Mark was left paralysed from the neck down and told he'd never walk again. Mark has since gone on to defy this diagnosis and has completed incredible fundraising challenges for military charities, including walking the length of the UK, during which he raised tens of thousands of pounds for Scotty's...

After experiencing childhood on both sides of the globe, Annette Laurie left school aged 16 and became an adult overnight. Joining the Royal Navy first as a reservist, and eventually as a regular, Annette served 26 years years in multiple roles across the globe, including Dubai. A keen interest in the Law took a backseat when tragedy stuck Annette's family... Follow This Podcast To Be Notified Of New Episodes, Visit Our Social Media Platforms & YouTube Channel For More Bonus Content,...