Several years ago, a series of life-changing events led me to discover that goals, or more specifically achievement, gave me an extraordinary sense of fulfilment. Within a few short years I had run more than 20 marathons; scaled the peaks of Western Europe and Africa; become a stand-up comic, performed in front of more than 250 people; trekked across continents; learned to play the saxophone; raised thousands of pounds for charity and become an entrepreneur.

As I achieved amazing things, my self-esteem and confidence continued to grow. However, the real sense of satisfaction came from accomplishing truly audacious goals; the type that really push the body and mind to their absolute limits.

In 2014, these goals led to an attempt at the Marathon des Sables, a 156-mile ultra-marathon across the Sahara Desert and the only race in the world that includes a repatriation fee in the event of death. Unfortunately, on this occasion I failed due to a number of errors, losing a total of eight toenails in the process.

The following year, I decided to try again - this time documenting what I had learned and what I would need to do differently. As a result of this, in 2015 I successfully completed the race. This experience has culminated in my first book, Big Steps, Long Strides, which is an autobiographical account of my journey and a complete guide for others inspired to run the Marathon des Sables.

The phrase Big Steps, Long Strides is my personal philosophy and encapsulates the famous words often attributed to Goethe: "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now".

This site details the journey of my own “Big Steps” and “Long Strides”. It seeks to help others achieve their personal goals, whatever they may be, and promotes the importance of achievement as a major contributor to personal fulfilment.