I come from a line of self-motivated, determined folk – not grand, not high society, but no-nonsense, family-minded go-getters.
I’ve seen extreme bravery from the least likely of people. Life is about the moments when it’s all gone wrong. That’s when we define ourselves.
Being brave isn’t the absence of fear. Being brave is having that fear but finding a way through it.
Survival can be summed up in three words – never give up. That’s the heart of it really. Just keep trying.
Life doesn’t reward the naturally clever or strong but those who can learn to fight and work hard and never quit.
The greatest journeys all start with a single step.
I love Ray Mears. He’s brilliant. He’s so rude about me in the press, it’s outrageous!
I said ‘no’ to the ‘Born Survivor’ producer three times because I’ve never aspired to be a TV man.
I think viewers quite like it when I’m suffering or eating or drinking something horrible or really up against it in some quicksand or whatever.
I’m terrified of walking into a room full of people. Sitting down at a dinner table with 15 strangers brings me out in a sweat.
Life is an adventure that is best lived boldly.
I always wanted to be Robin Hood or John the Baptist when I was growing up.
Faith is personal if it’s to be real.
What I’ve learned over the years is that the path less traveled always makes for a more interesting journey. If you simply do what everyone else is doing, how can you ever expect to excel and create something wonderful and unique in your life?
I find skydiving really hard. I broke my back while skydiving when I was in the military, and for 18 months all my nightmares were about falling.
I think it’s fun running with dogs. They’re always so fit and fast.
I try and eat really healthy when I’m home, but I certainly don’t eat worms and snakes.
I loved climbing because of the freedom, and having time and space. I remember coming off Everest for the last time, thinking of Dad and wishing that he could have seen what I saw. He would have loved it.
The difference between ordinary and extra-ordinary is so often just simply that little word – extra.
I’ve eaten sheep’s eyes, the still hot meat from a zebra killed by a lion, and maggots which give you 70 calories to the ounce.
As a society, we’ve become terrified of failure, but you can’t grow without risking it.