Get to know the rough and tumble academic.
What is your competitive style?
I've always loved to win. I've always been very competitive, and even though I don't seem very tough, I can surprise people. And I'll always really throw myself into everything. That's kind of the way I've been raised — it's sort of the English way, I suppose.
Why did you want to do this competition?
The reason I wanted to do this journey is mainly to see all the cultural richness that these tribes have to offer. I mean, it doesn't just stop at the sports. There are so many other things to see. There's different foods, different living conditions, different religions even. And all these things, beyond the sports, made me just think this is the perfect package.
What was the best part of the experience for you?
The connections you make with the families you're staying with. And they're not just guest-host relationships, they're real friendships. And sometimes when you leave, there's tears really, on both sides. And it's amazing how sometimes when you can't even speak the language, you can make these unbreakable bonds with people, in this kind of really mysterious way.
What was it like when you arrived in Brazil, your first location?
It was a surreal place, and I really felt like I took a step back in time at that point. I remember very clearly that feeling in the boat, going past the crocodiles up the river. And feeling pretty nervous, just because the whole atmosphere was so intense, and we were all kind of quiet in the boat. And then to see that sight on the riverbank, of six or seven pretty naked guys, ferocious looking, really sort of muscular, it definitely made me gulp.
