Ultimately I wanted to be a pioneer swimmer, a distant descendant of Scott, Amundsen and Hillary, except that I would be an explorer of the water.

Climate change is the Everest of all problems, the thorniest challenge facing humankind.

If you want to swim across the English Channel from England to France - you have to leave your doubt on the beach in England.

The importance of music extends well beyond its performance.

The blues is also existential and offers a sense of mature reflection that enabled it to be the leitmotif of modern life.

The right to have our environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations is our most important human right.

The days of exploration of Shackleton and Scott are long gone. Everything has been climbed, crossed, done. Now what we're exploring are the full boundaries of human endeavour. It's not physical - it's all in the head.