I've always had an itch for physical activity that has driven me through life. It's allowed me to travel the world and try my hand at a multitude of sports and activities, such as scuba diving, sky-diving, mountain biking, kayaking and whatever else gets the blood pumping or takes my fancy.
Since the age of 16 I've been working in customer facing roles, starting out at Currys Electrical store on the shop floor and tills. From here I took an interest in helping people and found a passion in outdoor activities. This inevitably led me to study Outdoor Leisure at Bicton college, where I gained a National Diploma and found my passion in teaching others my hobbies.
Using this skill and the opportunities that came with it, for the next part of my life I travelled as much as possible, wanting to instruct in as many different countries as possible and explore the world. Some of the activities I've taught have been Kayaking, Climbing, Mountain biking, Snowboarding and StandUp Paddleboarding, among many others in multiple locations including France, Spain, Wales and Austria.
After several years instructing and travelling the world, I chose to make a base for myself in Exeter and start saving for a wedding. To do this I took a job at my local bike shop, Saddles and Paddles. It was here that I really found a passion for cycling and where I've spent the last 8 years of my professional career, building my way up to Manager, which I have done for the last 4 years. This last role I am particularly passionate about, it gives me the opportunity to engage with the pubic and help where I can, but also turn my hand to more technical and problem solving issues that go with bicycle mechanics.
I'm now at a point in my life where I've reached my professional limit and am looking for something different to challenge me. I've loved being active, but now I'm thinking I want to turn away from customer service and try my hand at something more mentally challenging. After talking at length with friends in the tech world, I've decided to learn programming, something that always seemed daunting and completely foreign to me. With tutoring from a professional and managing my personal time, since November 2022 I've tasked myself the challenge of learning how to and eventually creating the web page you currently see, along with getting my skills to a competent level in order to secure myself a job in the industry.
In 2020 my partner and I had our first child and in 2023 we had our second. Above all else, I want to support my family, which is another big factor for the career change. This new line of career will allow me to spend more time with my family and offer financial support that will help give them the best experiences growing up.