We began the run last Sunday, on a non-descript strip of shingle by the Black Sea. The weeks before were manic; assembling kit, trying to get on TV, fundraising, making arrangements for the final day half-marathon. In the swarm of last minute preparations, the reality of the run seemed distant. Standing on the beach in Odessa all that other stuff peters out.
I was immensely proud that my challenge raised funds in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. They're are an awesome charity and as many people at some point in their lives are affected by cancer I think people were not only inspired by my efforts during the expedition but really believed in the cause I was trying to help along the way.
Winning ITV1's 71 Degrees North was an incredible experience and achievement. I want to share my advice with you using everything I've learned from that challenge on how you can be best prepared for anything because, as I found out - the hard way, it's often the things you don't expect that can cause the most problems.
Spiralling resource costs, flooding, civil unrest, threats to biodiversity, rises in environmental refugees and even all-out war - the implications of our unsustainable lifestyles are grim to say the least. These are just some of the effects we are almost certain to experience over the next five to 20 years as the consequences of our environmental looting catch up with us.