HOW DID I GET HERE?

That’s a very good question.

Looking back, there was never really a grand plan. One adventure simply seemed to lead to another, and somewhere along the way, I developed a habit of wondering what might be around the next corner.

From horses and sailing to backpacking through Africa and eventually driving around the world in a Land Rover, things haven’t always gone quite as expected.

But then, that’s half the fun.

YOU NEVER QUITE KNOW WHERE THINGS WILL LEAD.

I was born with Noonan syndrome and congenital heart disease. They are part of who I am, but they’ve never been the things to define me.

I was lucky to grow up surrounded by family and friends who encouraged me to have a go at things, to be curious and to not worry too much about whether I was necessarily supposed to be able to do them.

When I was nine, I discovered horses. I loved riding and soon decided I wanted to become a jockey. It was a dream that stuck, and when I left school I went off to pursue it properly.

That particular adventure didn’t last long. My heart condition meant a career as a jockey wasn’t going to be possible, and my training came to an abrupt end.

I never stopped loving horses. I just went looking for the next adventure.

And there always seemed to be one.

Tall ship races across the North Sea led to backpacking around Africa. Then came Russia, the Yukon and plenty of places in between. One journey seemed to lead naturally into another, until eventually I came up with a slightly more ambitious idea.

Drive around the world in a Land Rover.

The original plan was Cornwall to Cape Horn in 18 months.

Eight years later, I’d driven around the world, broken down more times than I’d care to remember, met people who became lifelong friends and somehow been adopted by a street dog in Guatemala called Jake.

None of it happened because I had everything figured out. Most of the time I didn’t.

I think I’ve simply learnt to have a go.

Life doesn’t always take you where you thought it would, and sometimes the dream you were chasing isn’t the one you end up living. That’s okay.

You don’t have to be perfect to chase your dreams.

And now I’m off to do it all over again — only this time in a 1965 Land Rover, taking the long way to Goodwood.

More Series. Less Serious.

I think “They’re all part of who I am, but they’ve never been the most interesting part” is important. It acknowledges Noonan syndrome, your heart and dyslexia without inviting the reader to view everything that follows through the lens of a medical condition.