When I left the military, I thought I would not have any problems with the transition - I'm very adaptable and very versatile - but I was wrong.
When you're in the military, you teeter on the edge of that line of life and death. The reason you feel so alive when you come through is because you know you've cheated death - and that and the adrenaline rush is addictive, no question.
When I first joined the army, I felt I had to be part of the alpha male culture. But I didn't.
When you're challenged to the extreme, you learn so much about yourself. And when you're willing to give that ultimate sacrifice, when you're willing to tackle a job or a task or a mission head-on and give 100%, you can achieve amazing things because you're almost fearless.
On a 60-mile trek with a 200-kg. bergen on my back, I felt my ankle break. Some might have given up. I broke my other ankle to even up the pain. And carried on.
I'm from a generation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Our battleground was where we learned. It's not like the old generation where they used to train and train and train, and then suddenly an operation would come up, and they'd go on it.
Basic training was hard, but I made it - because I wanted to be the best me. Sometimes you have to learn that being the best you is being the second best you. I learned the hard way that the army doesn't want people who always come first. Otherwise, there would be only one person in the army.
The one thing I've always said is I don't want them growing up without a father, and they're my inspiration to make sure I'm the best man I can be. I want them to have the father figure that I never had.
I love dogs, but they are a big responsibility, and with four children, having one would be too much.
I eat healthily as much as I can - meat, protein, carbs as well. I like my pasta; I like my rice. I like to have that sort of sustenance in me, because I'm always thinking of survival.
I might wake up in the morning and go out for a six- to eight-mile run, and then in the afternoon, I might swim two or three kilometres. The next day, I'll mix it up and do a military circuit. I don't stick to a set programme.
I don't really miss anything, I'm so focussed on what I have to do - I'm so focussed on my work - that I don't miss any creature comforts.
In Afghanistan, getting shot at was a regular occurrence. I viewed survival as a numbers game. As point man, every time I entered a Taliban compound first, I played the odds in my head.
I wanted people to know that I'm human, and I'm only successful because I've learned the hard way. I've been in so many dark places, but I got myself out.
I want to see you use your brain. Get the job done efficiently. I want to see an intelligent operator at work. And apart from that, to stay on my good side, just do as you're told.
When it comes to Everest, psychologically, you have to be in the red. If you're not, it doesn't matter how fit you are. I've seen the fittest of people, who I thought would steam up the top of Everest, allow the pressure to take over their body.
When I took on Everest, I'm not there for the views.
It's asking that never-ending question, 'Who am I?' which motivates me and takes me on a constant journey of self-discovery that teaches me so much. Will Everest make me more cautious? In reality, probably not.
I don't stick to a routine, because I like to mix things up, which stops training becoming boring and helps shock muscles into firing up.
I'm more about mind over muscle. My mindset needs to be the fittest, because it drags my body through whatever needs to be done. A lot of people neglect training their mind and their self-belief, but I believe that's crucial.
