As a young boy, scouting gave me a confidence and camaraderie that is hard to find in modern life.

The special forces gave me the self-confidence to do some extraordinary things in my life. Climbing Everest then cemented my belief in myself.

Life has taught me to be very cautious of a man with a dream, especially a man who has teetered on the edge of life. It gives a fire and recklessness inside that is hard to quantify.

I was christened Edward. My sister gave me the name Bear when I was a week old and it has stuck.

I've had so many injuries in my life that it's ridiculous.

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.