Co-Owner of Vitae-Vi & Wim Hof Method Instructor
I was extremely lucky to be given the opportunities as a child to be adventurous – as a family we would sail, ski and travel, I was encouraged to join the Scouts and when I was old enough I set-up a Venture Scout unit. I took part in expeditions to the Sahara and led a group of students across the wilds of Iceland.
As I began my working life, I continued my adventures – sailing, cycling and mountain biking. I worked hard and played harder until, in my late 30’s, I became seriously ill and had to stop everything and begin my treatment. I felt like my world had collapsed and it did…
3 years later, once my treatment had finished, I was back on the corporate hamster-wheel, working even harder, flying all over the world and running myself thin….Karyn and I met in 2009 and brought up our family with all the complications of modern life.
Fast-forward to Feb 22 when Covid caught me out and whilst I wasn’t particularly ill with it, the effects of the virus were debilitating and long-lasting, leading to an eventual diagnosis of Long Covid – severe fatigue (I mean, unable to get out of bed fatigue with muscle and joint pain, similar to having run some crazy endurance event the day before), insomnia (often 30 mins but 2 hours maximum sleep a night for months on end), brain fog (that stopped me driving and thinking straight), terrible ‘axe-through-the-head’ headaches lasting several days at a time and chronic pins & needles in my hands and feet (stopping me walking or carrying things).
I went from 100mph to zero almost overnight, my mental state suffered. The medical fraternity were lost about what to do and although I got superb support they had little to offer other than pharmaceuticals and some talking therapies.
Then the stars began to align…
My best friend called me for a chat and told me about his cold showers and this Viking-like character, Wim Hof, who’s book he had just read.
On the very same day, my employer emailed all staff to say they had arranged a Wim Hof Workshop as part of the Wellbeing Programme.
I booked myself a place.
I then watched the BBC programme ‘Freeze The Fear’ with Wim Hof, and started reading about his ‘Method’, what he claimed to be able to do – control immunity, lower inflammation, generate energy and reduce stress – all by breathing (or not breathing as I found out!) and taking an unbearably cold shower?!
This needed some investigation!
The day of the staff workshop arrived and I was taken, by the Instructor, to another level of consciousness through guided breathing, I felt incredible after the 2-minute ice bath and took away from that workshop some simple and practical exercises to continue practicing at home. I began to see almost immediate benefits.
The breathwork gave me a whack of energy I’d not had for 18+ months and helped me control my headaches, the cold exposure (in my case cold showers, until I bought myself an ice bath) gave me a real sense of clarity and focus – I began to sleep better, lose weight and became less anxious about what the future might hold. My mental sharpness returned.
The sense of well-being, happiness, strength and power that was back in my control gave me the confidence to make a life-changing decision and leave my 30+ years in the corporate world to become a Breathwork & Wim Hof Method Instructor, so I can lead the way in helping you feel stronger, healthier and happier. This has become my mission and I intend to spend the remainder of my working life, helping others.
I have a particular interest in the benefits of controlled breath, mindset and cold exposure to improve endurance and energy levels, control stress, improve general health and provide you with simple tools to use in your every day life, all backed up by strong science.
Change can be challenging but remaining stressed, unhappy with low energy can be more so – 15-20 minutes a day is all you need, no equipment, just an open mind and a willingness to persevere. I know first-hand how illness, stress and modern-life all impact the body and mind and I can guide you towards unlocking your inner power.
In the words of Wim Hof, ”You are stronger than you think you are”, a phrase that regularly pops into my mind as I once again am able climb the hills of the South Downs on my mountain bike!
I look forward to guiding you on your journey; I promise, you won’t look back…
Main – Photo by kind permission of Cowdray Estate
