UNBOWND – Sports Profile
Date: 09 / 04 / 2020
Tell us how you got to where you are today?
From a really young age I’ve always been focused on sports. It didn’t matter what I was doing — rugby, football, or cricket — it was the competition that I loved.
My parents saw that I had a real competitive streak in me and set me fun challenges everyday such as timing me to run around the park, and continually encouraging me to beat my personal best. I told them early on that I wanted to be a professional sportsman — I just knew it’s the path I was meant to go down.
I received a sports scholarship in my teens and began professional karting, competing in the British Championships and coming 2nd in my first full year, followed by many top three places in UK and European competitions. I’d kart for around 35 weekends of the year and juggled it with full-time education. When I finished school, I graduated from karts to cars and became a professional racer.
Why did you become an UNBOWND Ambassador?
I’ve been proud to be an Ambassador of UNBOWND since 2018.
In the motorsport world, everything you do has a big impact. For decades the industry has focused on making small — sometimes tiny — changes which can make a difference to lap times and performance. They may only add up to a tenth of a second, but that can mean the difference between coming first or fifth in a race.
These tiny advantages have been a huge part of motorsport for many years, and now those involved in cycling, running and swimming all recognise its importance. In running for example, you’ll often hear about the latest brand of shoes that supposedly help you run faster — every industry that is focused on marginal improvements will be investing heavily in developing products that are proven to innovate and enhance performance.
It’s not about training hard all the time now either — there’s a huge focus on physiotherapy, conditioning, and alternative therapies like yoga which can all help to boost performance.
That’s what particularly drew me to UNBOWND. It’s not about just wearing the clothes to train — it’s about recovery, applying support to the body, and boosting blood flow to muscles that are being used.
What do you love most about UNBOWND?
I use compression wear a lot. I’ll sometimes do 24-hour races with three-hour stints on the track and time to rest in-between.
When I come off the track for a period of rest it could be during the early hours of the morning when the outside temperature has dropped. My body will be hot from racing, so it’s important to keep my muscles warm and blood flowing even when I’m resting so that when I head back out, I’m still on top form.
The compression wear keeps my body warm and helps my muscles to recover during my dedicated rest periods, which means my body never fully switches off. Without it, my muscles might cramp up and I’d feel cold and tired — not a good combination when you’re racing.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining the UNBOWND tribe?
What really puts UNBOWND above other brands is that it actually serves a purpose. It’s not just an accessory — it has a functional job.
It’s similar to wearing cheap trainers versus ones that focus on high performance. Investing in performance and recovery-boosting products lifts you from ‘standard’ to exceptional, which is important no matter what your goal is — whether it’s personal or professional gain.
Your favourite UNBOWND item and why?
Both the leggings and the top offer individual benefits, but for me the Therma range is important because it’s focused on body temperature and keeping core muscles warm and working.
What keeps you determined to push through when things get tough?
The feeling of knowing you’ve done your best.
Your favourite and least favourite exercises?
I love being outdoors so anything like cycling, running and hiking would be my top choice. I’m a bit of an adventurer too so if I can keep fit while exploring some of the world and the outdoors, all the better. Least favourite is stretching— we all have to do it and it’s so important, but it can be tedious!
Words you live by?
Just get on with it! It might be a bit black and white, but it’s something I’ve always lived by and it’s served me well.