IN MY EXPERIENCE… Bear Grylls
The survival expert and adventurer, 50, talks living on a houseboat, his fear of public speaking and why he prefers to age by percentage
by KATHRYN KNIGHT
What were you like as a child?
I was shy, but I loved being outside and being close to my dad. He was a former Royal Marine commando, and we’d go on mini adventures all the time – climbing, sailing, camping. I lived for those times and couldn’t wait to get home from school to do them. My dad died when I was too young [26], so those memories are precious.
What’s the best advice your parents gave you?
That being a never-give-upper in life counts for a great deal. You don’t have to be the sportiest or the cleverest – those things are God-given talents – but you can be the resilient one.
Your achievements include climbing Everest and circumnavigating the British Isles on a jet ski. What feat are you most proud of?