THE HEALTH HABIT

BIOGRAPHY

"Of passing interest, perhaps?"
I study, meditate, exercise, work with people and/or horses and/or dogs EVERY DAY passing on life enhancing Knowledge and Skills. And there’s still plenty of time to bungee jump, go wing walking and tree flying, swim amongst rocks in crazy currents and big waves, gallop a horse in dead of night darkness - enjoy excitement, revel in risk, in short, to live a little. I am DISCIPLINED. I am DEDICATED. During the past 30 YEARS I have NOT had 10 DAYS without structured EXERCISE. I persevere, I NEVER GIVE UP on people or projects.

I am DETERMINED. I am DIFFERENT. I can HELP YOU.

I was born on the First of April, 1942 in Lincoln, England. During my very early years we lived on a smallholding in the Staffordshire village of Alrewas. I spent all of my remembered time amongst the animals there and on the larger farm opposite. Not surprisingly I developed an enduring love of animals which has become a lifelong passion.

I've kept tropical and freshwater fish, amphibians and reptiles. I've trained budgerigars, chickens and goats. I've trained foxes and am now working with two wild deer. But I am particularly involved in training to resolve problems afflicting horses and dogs. Until I was 14 my indisputable ambition was to become a farmer.

After the War (1945) the family moved to surburban Surbiton in Surrey. Eventually my increasing involvement in competitive sport became my developing obsession, overriding my gradually waning enthusiasm for farming. So I took the decision and on my 15th birthday started training seriously for my sports.And I have NEVER stopped training. Although obviously over 55 years my priorities, bias, practices and methods have varied.

In those early days (1957 onwards) there was, in the UK, no readily available mainstream information on advanced training procedures, particularly in the field of PRT - progressive resistance training with weights. I, sort of, made it up as I went along. I studied everything I could find from the Ancient Greeks, Military and Martial Arts Training to Circus Strongmen, Yoga to Muscle Control Courses, not forgetting Charles Atlas and his Dynamic Tension.

My early, unfashionable enthusiasm for exercise and fitness led to solo weight training sessions in the School Gym. At 17 I acquired my first weights - a crude, cast collection - and set about frenetic training sessions in the garage at home. I have devoted my life to the pursuit of Fitness, to learning about Fitness and Health and to helping people with widely differing requirements achieve varying levels and types of Fitness.

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During the PAST 30 YEARS I have NOT had 10 DAYS WITHOUT TRAINING.
During those same 30 years I doubt there have been 5 days when I have not performed my eye exercises. Is it a mere coincidence that I've never used glasses? Probably not.

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"His relentless self-discipline and dedication day in, day out for years on end, is almost beyond belief"

Colin Hanson, Former Wasps Rugby Club Player

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I was educated in England at Greshams School, Norfolk and, on an Exchange Scholarship, at Western Reserve Academy in Ohio, USA. I enjoyed a varied and unusually successful school sporting career, succeeding at cricket, hockey and athletics.

While in America I was inspired by new, exciting training methods and enjoyed extraordinary sporting facilities.

I graduated with First Class Honours in Physical Education from Loughborough Training College, Leicestershire in 1965 where I read English as my second subject and received my Teaching Diploma in Education.

• Captain Colleges Hockey Club and 1st XI.
• Captain Midland Counties Under 23 Hockey XI.
• Captain Leicestershire County Hockey XI.
• Universities Athletics Union, at Hockey, Southern Counties and England.
• Colleges Number 1, Squash.
• Colleges Light-Heavyweight Champion, Power Lifting.
• Colleges Open Light-Heavyweight Champion, Boxing.
• Surrey ranking 440 yards Sprint, Athletics.
• Gold Medal, Survival Swimming.

In close to 55 years of serious training, competitive sport and the relentless pursuit of physical/mental challenges I have experienced a few little setbacks. There have been some inconvenient accidents/injuries - nose broken twice; three fingers and a thumb broken; finger ripped open to the bone; right shoulder broken - all holding ligaments destroyed; left shoulder dislocated; outer head of the left bicep detached at origin; left Achilles tendon ruptured, 3 ribs broken and left lung punctured; and, of course, a range of ligament and tendon damage plus the inescapable muscle tweaks and tears.

I've been hospitalised several times with one overnight stay - I discharged myself the next morning and that was the extent of my involvement with the medical establishment. I had NO medical/surgical treatment for ANY of the above.

I took ONE painkiller four days after my rib/lung injury. My back was in uncontrollable spasm, I hadn't slept for two nights and it had taken me forty minutes to get out of bed that morning. Forty minutes, but it was down to me. I didn't have to go surfing, no one made me. My choices are ALWAYS my responsibility. I prefer to avoid pharmaceutical drugs - they ALL have side effects. I have ALWAYS rehabilitated myself and I NEVER stop exercising. Our bodies have been designed for use and evolved by use over thousands of years.

I don't believe in COINCIDENCE, but live by the "credo" of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. If I consistently seek EXCITEMENT then I will inevitably encounter RISK. Whatever happens my ACTIONS are entirely my CHOICE, so any CONSEQUENCES are ALWAYS MY RESPONSIBILITY.

On the basis that "the first hour is the rudder of the day" Henry Ward Beecher, I want to get each day off to as positive, optimistic and constructive a start as possible. Silence - NO radio, NO TV, NO noise, NO distractions.

My first waking moments are spent in a short reflective period of contemplative gratitude. That's followed immediately by a (much) longer session of positive, goal-directed affirmations, accompanied by visualisation, with imaging and mental rehearsal. Shortly afterwards, in the garden, I work through a mobility and flexibility programme, followed by a series of abdominal "isolations", then eye exercises and some breathing practices. I may well repeat the eye exercises when I am out running later and will certainly do more controlled breathing.

 

As well as my different training sessions, meditation is also an integral, most rewarding part of my routine. Most days I will write and/or study. The framework of my life may seem a trifle limiting, or even rigid, to some, but "nothing worthwhile was ever achieved without (self) discipline." And it works for me.

 

I am DISCIPLINED. I am DEDICATED. I persevere and NEVER GIVE UP on people or projects. My life's work, mission, ambition is to make a real difference, to help people, horses, dogs, animals. I am resolutely DETERMINED. I am DIFFERENT. I can HELP YOU.

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