Sports / Fitness & Leisure

Name: Dan Smith

Rank on Exit: Sgt

Peter GrangerYears of Service: 13 Years...

Qualifications Gained: Level 2 certificate in Gym Instruction

Sgt Dan Smith, 32, served in the Royal Artillery for 13 years, specialising as a GMLRS commander and Battery PTI Physical Training Instructor, and leaving in January 2011 because ‘I wanted a career change. Over the last few years my passion swayed towards the physical training side of my work, especially outdoor activities. I knew that was what I wanted to do with my life.’

Asked about the training/experience he gained during his Service career that he now finds useful in civilian life, he says ‘I would say the main thing is that it built my confidence in public speaking and giving instructions.’

Civilian qualifications obtained during his Service career included a level 2 certificate in Gym Instruction, and during resettlement he undertook a CYQ Gym and Personal Trainer course (level 3) and a further course in Exercise (GP) Referral with Fit Training Ltd (www.fittraining.co.uk). He says of the course: ‘The team of expert trainers were friendly, helpful and gave clear instruction at all times. What was great about it was that it was flexible and a lot of the modules could be completed online. At the same time, however, you received face-to-face tuition at a local sports centre, with a mixture of one-to-one and group sessions. There was a good balance of practical and theory-based modules, covering topics that were relevant to what I wanted to do, such as exercise in the outdoors, anatomy and physiology, nutrition and core stability. The admin side and the application process were also straightforward and I completed the course in about four months. I would definitely recommend Fit Training to others looking to enter the fitness industry after leaving the military.’

After the course, he says, ‘I set up my own business, and Fit Training’s expert fitness training and advice has enabled me to do this. It’s called Northern BootCamp (www.northernbootcamp.co.uk), and offers residential weight loss and fitness camps, plus Xelements Outdoor, which offers inspirational activities and outdoor pursuits for individuals, groups and teams (www.xelementsoutdoor.co.uk).

‘Northern BootCamp was launched in January 2011 and involves me running residential boot camps in Weardale, County Durham. The camps are the only ones of their kind in the north-east, and last between four days and a week. They provide an intense but fun programme of fitness and adventure activities for people of all ages and abilities. Health, nutrition and outdoor skills are also covered. Xelements, the sister company, offers outdoor and team-building experiences for businesses, groups, and stag and hen parties.

‘I like everything about my job. It is hard work but very rewarding to get results and watch people progress. I like being my own boss and being in charge of my own destiny. There are things I do miss about the Army, such as the camaraderie and overseas adventure training, but I am very excited about the future and building the business.’

Published ...December 2011

Name: Ben Douglas

Rank on Exit: Petty Officer

Peter GrangerYears of Service: 8 Years...

Qualifications Gained: BASI level 1 Snowboarding Instructor

Petty Officer Ben Douglas, 25, served in the Royal Navy for eight years, specialising as a Submarine Weapon Engineering Artificer and leaving in March 2011 ‘to pursue a new career in adventure sports’. Asked about the training/experience he gained during his Service career that he now finds useful in civilian life, he says: ‘Every bit of training from my time in the RN I have found useful – from fire-fighting to risk assessment – as these are all things that set you apart from your non-military counterparts when applying for work or taking interviews.’

Civilian qualifications obtained during his Service career include: BASI level 1 Snowboarding Instructor, MIAS level 2 MTB Instructor and RYA Power Boat level 2. He found his CTW useful for ‘CV preparation’ and, during resettlement, also undertook an Adventure Sports Instructor Internship with EBO. This was, he says, very well run and useful – and in fact he went on to find his job through a work placement with EBO.

His first civilian job on leaving the Forces was as a coasteering and kite surfing instructor, and came about ‘via lots of cold emails enquiring as to whether there may be work around the area for freelance instruction with lots of different companies’.

Still working as a coasteering and kite surfing instructor, his job involves ‘taking customers on coasteering trips around Cornwall, jumping off cliffs and swimming through gullies and rocks. With kite surfing, this involves one-to-one tuition on the beach, teaching first how to fly a kite and second how to ride a board. Dynamic risk assessment is required at all times to keep you and the customers safe in a very variable environment.

‘I love everything about it – from being outside in the elements with the fresh air and the sun, to helping students achieve and accomplish their goals.’

Asked about the major differences between his Service role and his current job, he responds: ‘First, I get to come home every night. I am outside all the time rather than underwater. I enjoy the work and it is very rewarding. Every day is different with different people and places. The pay is less but it is a lifestyle choice.’

Published ...December 2011

Name: David Thompson

Rank on Exit: SSgt

Peter GrangerYears of Service: 22 Years...

Qualifications Gained: Single Pitch Award

SSgt David Thompson served in the Army for 22 years, specialising in the RMP and leaving in May 2010. Asked to highlight the training/experience he gained during his Service career that he now finds useful in civilian life, he responds ‘Defence Instructional Techniques, JSMEL, Coaching and Mentoring, First Aid Instructor, as well as a civilian Mountain Leader (Summer) qualification.’

Of his CTW, he says that it ‘helped me sort out my CV into a career-transitional style. That has proved useful, yet is easily developed as experience is gained. It gave me some sense of direction when searching for work opportunities.’ Asked about other resettlement training undertaken, he says: ‘I completed my Single Pitch Award (rock climbing), converted my DIT to PTLLS (which is City & Guilds recognised), gained recognition of my first aid instructional skills, gained a level 1 coaching award in paddle sports (canoe and kayak), and started International Mountain Leader training and Winter ML training.’

His first paid civilian job on leaving the Forces was as an expedition leader for World Challenge on a four-week youth development trip to Venezuela: ‘I heard of the company after networking on a course [International Mountain Leader] and entered the selection process. As they required me to be freelance, this sparked my desire and this, along with others’ advice, led me to subsequently set up my own small business offering my services to individuals and groups, as well as corporate and business clients.’

Talking about his day-to-day role, he says: ‘I sometimes work with youth development groups as a facilitator, helping to develop skills as required by the client, mainly using games and tasks to develop different skills like leadership, interpersonal skills, cooperation, problem solving, etc. Other days I work with adults as groups or individuals, teaching outdoor skills like navigation or simply guiding in the mountains. Each year I lead overseas expeditions to various destinations for different organisations, mainly within the youth development sector. My goal is to develop my own business, in time, to provide the bulk of my work.

‘In the Army I was office based and answered to the chain of command. Now I answer to myself and work for those I wish to work for at the terms agreed, although they have more say and expect more for a day’s pay.’ On the subject of his current earnings, he says: ‘I earned a lovely wage as a SSgt – now, in the real world, I can expect to eventually earn about £15,000 per year before tax. In reality I earned a third of that last year and am on course to hit about half that in the current tax year. Only my pension allows me to develop this way of working, and I hope to be up to the expected earnings in about two years. I will never be rich, but I love this way of life and have the opportunity to influence young people in a positive way.’

Published ...December 2011

Name: Daniel McIntosh

Rank on Exit: Cpl

Years of Service: 10 years

Qualifications Gained: Personal Training level 3

Cpl Daniel McIntosh has served in the REME as a Physical Training Instructor/Commando for almost ten years. He registered for ELC, he says, ‘while at my first unit. I didn’t really understand at the time what I was signing, just did as I was told, but I’m very grateful that I did! I researched all current providers of personal training courses and selected the one that I thought was best. Using my ELC, I took a course with EIF Lilleshall, as a result of which I have achieved Personal Training level 3.’ The EIF Master Trainer course is, he says, ‘an intensive personal training course where the student is taught about nutrition, fitness and wellness. As part of this we were taught how to train special populations and deliver nutrition advice, as well as how to run a business. Overall, a very informative course.’

Asked whether the course was well run and relevant, he responds, ‘I couldn’t ask for a better course in delivering the skills needed to confidently set up as a personal trainer. The course was a mixture of academic and vocational training, involving five weeks’ intensive study, with the time split between classroom and practical work. Extra reading was required for an hour or so in the evening.

‘Because I was already an Army PTI, I was already used to and competent in taking group classes, but this course gave me the extra knowledge in training civilians and relating to health and fitness, such as new coaching methods. I received more from this course then I expected, and now know I have the knowledge, confidence and qualification to set up as a personal trainer and deliver sessions that I know will benefit my clients.’

To sum up, he has some advice for other Service people registering for or using ELC: ‘I would advise people to first of all make sure they actually use the ELC and don’t just forget about them in their rush to leave the Forces. Make sure that they use it to do a course that is relevant to a career that they are sure that they want to pursue.’

Published ...September 2011

Name: Rob Blair

Rank on Exit: Corporal

Years of Service: 6 years

Qualifications Gained: Diploma in Personal Training & Sports Massage

Rob Blair joined the Royal Marines at 18, attaining the rank of Corporal. After six years’ Service he developed a prolapsed disc in his lumbar spine, which, he says, ‘had a huge impact on my ability to remain active, but it made me more determined to focus on bringing myself back stronger and more focused – which is why I started Premier Training’s Diploma in Personal Training and Sports Massage Therapy. I left the Royal Marine Commandos after eight years’ service with my Diploma and a fixed determination to keep on progressing as a trainer and therapist while setting up a business that utilised the strong work ethic I had gained in the Marines.

Rob decided to enrol on Premier’s course as ‘It was highly recommended by another trainer – in his experience, Premier was the best on the market. At the time, that was all I needed to know; I wanted – and still want – the best possible qualifications and up-to-date training techniques for my clients.

‘I do most of my work outdoors in London parks, whatever the weather and twice a week I train people at Nuffield Health and Gymbox branches. I also have a practice in Canary Wharf that I use twice a week for injury treatment and rehabilitation.

‘The most satisfying part of my job is getting complimented every week by my clients, who remind me just how much they have benefited from working with me and progressing several key areas of their lives. My salary has doubled since leaving the Royal Marines, and I can’t see why it will stop there as I am now looking to employ other trainers. The best thing about working for myself is the flexibility – I am the boss. Everything I put in to the business comes back in my direction.’

His advice to others wishing to follow this route is ‘Work bloody hard! Develop a plan of action, stick to it and don’t lose focus. Do the work wherever it may appear to start and, when you have a large client base due to the graft you have demonstrated to the public, you will be in a strong position to ask them to fit in around your routine. It can be a tough job to crack, but I believe that having a military background gives us a huge head-start over non-military people.’

Published ...September 2010

Name: Darren Foote

Rank on Exit: Lance Corporal

Years of Service: 15 years

Qualifications Gained: CP Training

Successful self-employment – fuelled by the Forces!
In this feature-length case study, former Lance Corporal Darren Foote, who now runs his own thriving business, recommends making maximum use of your resettlement centre in order to ease the transition from Armed Forces to civilian self-employment

Starting out …
My name is Darren Foote I was born and grew up in the valleys of South Wales; I left school in 1982 with very limited exam results. It was not a good time for the area as industry was taking a big hit with the closing of the coal mines, and reduction in steel manufacturing and manufacturing in general.
I struggled for the next four years, going from job to job trying to find my niche, but it just wasn’t happening for me. I was always very keen on keeping fit and spending a lot of time outdoors, so it was inevitable the Army was calling … and I was listening.

Flourishing in the Forces
I joined the Army in September 1986 and, in June 1987, qualified as a Lance Corporal in the Royal Military Police. Although this was the proudest day of my life it certainly was not the easiest path to have chosen: due to my limited education and the high standards the RMP demand, I knew I had a mountain to climb. The experience was an enlightening one, though, as when I was in school help was limited – and sometimes non-existent – however, the Military Police immediately identified that I had certain educational difficulties, and I was pulled to one side (in a nice way) and taken through areas of the course step by step, which resulted in my confidence growing from strength to strength. It was an uplifting experience in comparison to my school years.
Even though I had succeeded in passing the course, it was in reality just the beginning – a time where I had to watch, listen and learn. I spent the next three years in Northern Ireland, where I learned a lot about myself and others. I learned how to command and command respect; I learned how to achieve and enjoy the feeling of being part of a team; I learned how to be patient and control my emotions in what can only be described as extremely difficult times.

Promoting personal empowerment
Above all, the thing I did learn – and that I still live by – is that when I worked hard not only was I rewarded by the system but I felt empowered within myself, and if I worked hard enough nothing would be impossible.
I qualified as a bodyguard while serving in Northern Ireland, and got to protect some very important high-status individuals, both in the military sector and members of the British government. This was without doubt the making of me. I was now thrust into taking control, commanding situations and ensuring the safety of very important people so that they could get on with their important jobs.
In 1990 my life was about to change again for the better. I was sent to Africa, where I was going to protect the British Ambassador Alan Ramsay and his family. During my seven months with Alan and his family I could see that our lives were poles apart – I was a real rough diamond. I didn’t know etiquette or political correctness. I had never before been to a formal dinner – the closest had been an Indian restaurant in Aldershot – so now I was feeling like a small fish in an enormous ocean. But because I was willing to learn I was given a life lesson in etiquette. Again, if it had not been for the Army this experience could never have been.
My experiences continued throughout my career in the Army with tours of North Africa and the Middle East (Gulf War), and my thirst for knowledge just kept growing all the time, encouraged by the personnel in the units that I worked with. It was 1997 when I decided to leave the Army, not because of any disillusionment – far from it – it was just that I felt I needed to move on and do something different.

Reaping the benefits of resettlement
When I decided to sign off and terminate my service, I had the daunting task of planning what I was going to do next – for the previous 12 years I had been taken care of in every way possible, and now soon it would be only me (scary stuff!).

I had no idea what was in store for me at the resettlement centre and, to be honest, I was quite nervous and wondered if I was doing the right thing by leaving the Forces. However, after my first day taking lectures with other Service personnel and conducting group discussions, I realised that, first, I was not on my own and, yes, this was the right thing to do! I began to stop thinking like a soldier and was now looking forward to my new life as a civilian. What was making this easy for me was the superb instruction from the resettlement staff: all my questions were answered and, even though I asked some questions that were complex, the staff would sit with us and talk us through everything, until we were happy and had a full understanding.
They helped me write my CV in a way that presented a military fighting machine as an asset to any working team, in whatever industry I chose. I found them extremely helpful in preparing me for interviews and aiding me to use key words to help negate any terminology that might have hindered me. One mistake I made, though, was not to get my military qualifications changed over to civilian qualifications, as this will assist in your success in whatever job you have chosen.

Planning for civilian success
After leaving the Army, I gained my Postgraduate Certificate in Education at the University of Wales, and began lecturing at Cardiff College. I qualified as a mountain leader and climbing instructor, and am now planning my kayak instructor’s course. I have never forgotten the skills I learned in the Army, and have certainly put them to effective use as a civilian.
A couple of years ago I decided I was going to turn an idea I had into reality. This was very daunting for me as I have not done any business courses and had no real idea of where to begin. It was at this point that I started to think about the lessons I had learned in the military: command, control and communication. I had to take command of the situation, look at how I was going to do this and start planning. I had to control the situation by ensuring that my planning was realistic and not outside my physical boundaries, and that it remained within those boundaries. And, as when I went to the resettlement centre for help, I went to local government to help me achieve my aims and goals, using communication skills both written and oral.

Going into business …
In May 2009 I launched my own business, Mountain Fuel Ltd (Extreme and Endurance Sports Nutrition) (www.mountainfuel.co.uk). It has been really hard work, but I found that, by applying the skills I learned in the Forces, I could stay focused and determined to succeed. Since the launch I have landed contracts with Cotswold Outdoor and various specialist extreme sports shops around the UK. Mountain Fuel products are now in Afghanistan, on sale in the NAAFI. I have sponsored the Tri-Service Military climbing team who are attempting to be the first British team in history to climb Makalu via the south-east ridge (www.makalu2010.com – see ‘Despatches’, page XX). I also sponsor the British number-one 800m runner, Richard Hill.

… and succeeding
I still have my feet firmly on the ground and keep all my aims and goals real, but, as I was taught in the Army, success only comes by with determination, motivation, enthusiasm, drive and good planning.
My final words to anyone reading this article, and still serving in the Forces but considering leaving, is to speak with the resettlement officer and start to plan your future. Remember, the military is a very good part of your life – but, if you plan it right, the best is yet to come.

If you have any questions that I might be able to help you with, by all means email me at footedarren@yahoo.co.uk

Published ...May 2010

Name: Darren Wilson

Rank on Exit: Lance Corporal

Years of Service: 7 years

Qualifications Gained: Diploma in Personal Training

Lance Corporal Darren Wilson’s sevenyear Army career ended last November when the 27-year-old left the 1st Battalion, the Kings Own Royal Border Regiment to ‘spend more time with family’ after operations in Northern Ireland and Iraq, and tours in Belize, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands.

A career transition workshop was ‘useful in presentation of work’, while a diploma in personal training and massage therapy with Premier Training was ‘well run and very useful’. A first job as a personal trainer with Fitness First, which he found through walking in to a centre, followed almost immediately. He also now runs a local Military Fitness school.

Ten months on, his Army fitness training is relevant to almost everything Wilson now does, since his position demands: ‘motivation, working with different clients, successfully meeting goals, listening, encouraging clients’ progress, nutrition, writing programmes, organisation, working with other health professionals, sales and marketing, injuries, post-care advice, and understanding people’s needs.

‘I run my job as I wish now and work the hours I want. But the Army gave me the motivation and belief I have now to do my job to the best of my ability.’

His potential earnings are better as a personal trainer, and he hopes to set up his own gym and health clinic some time in the near future.

Published ...December 09

Name: Ben Vickers

Rank on Exit: Private

Years of Service: 5

Qualifications Gained: NVQs in security and telecommunications

Looking back on his five years as an infantry signaller, ex-Private Ben Vickers rates the qualities of ‘selfdiscipline, personal pride, respect, moral courage, fitness, team work and a sense of humour’ as being valuable in his new life. After tours in Northern Ireland and Bosnia, he left in 2002 because he ‘feared becoming stuck in the Forces’. NVQs in security and telecommunications were of limited use in his first ‘hated’ job as a holiday club rep. He is now a firefighter which, he says, has many similarities with the Army. ‘I get to operate with a team again with personal discipline, respect and working to a rank structure.’

However, Vickers also works as an instructor with British Military Fitness. ‘It is my passion and it involves training all levels of civilians in military style circuits, outdoors in London’s parks. The clients are superb and love to train hard.

‘I am now the master of my own destiny. I found it hard adapting to civvy life initially and thought about signing back up but once I settled down I knew that I had made the correct decision. There is a marked difference in pay and I now make a lot more money than I did whilst serving but it doesn’t come on a platter. I work hard and get paid accordingly but the opportunities to earn are massive.’

Published ...March 09

Sports / Fitness & Leisure - Case Studies