TRUE ADVENTURE - Key Persons
Ellie brings to True Adventure a huge amount of support and administrative experience working for senior management and sales teams within a number of different industries including Jewellery, Cosmetics and Luxury Telecommunications.
Ellie enjoys spending time with her ever expanding family whether it be long walks in the country or visiting family in Dorset & Spain. She loves summer music festivals & long runs in the country. With two young children her long-haul holidays have become less frequent but hoping to soon return to her favourite destinations - the Seychelles & Ibiza!
Ellie helps to support the schools, parents and colleagues to ensure the process runs smoothly and is always here to help.
Having spent many years working in education, Gemma has much experience of internal organisation within both state and independent education and draws on this knowledge to head up True Adventure's administration department.
Her familiarity with the school environment means that she understands the needs of students and teachers alike and is committed to providing both with a first class service.
She has been part of the True Adventure team for many years now and is a firm believer in the wide-ranging benefits of international travel and expedition life, having travelled the world independently after finishing her own education.
Gemma is married with a young son and continues to take an active role in local education as a Governor of her son's school. She can often be found on the touch line of the local rugby club, or exercising in the beautiful Sussex countryside far too early in the mornings!
John is our Operations Manager and has previously worked as Head of Outdoor Education, D of E Manager and School Staff Instructor for the Combined Cadet Force. Before taking on this role he spent 26 years in the British Army working worldwide from oceans to deserts to high mountains, all whilst ensuring safety is paramount. He has visited some of the world's most beautiful countries including Nepal with a visit to Everest Base Camp in April 2015, where he witnessed first hand the destruction caused by the earthquake.
John has a passion for developing young adults, whether that is on expedition in the UK or overseas. He spends a lot of his free time working on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions both supervising and assessing. He is also an experienced dive instructor and has spent time on diving expeditions rehabilitating injured soldiers.
Job Titles:
- Sales & Planning Director
Having spent a lot of time as a child in Kenya, Kathryn developed a love of wild & rugged environments and has been lucky enough to have continued exploring ever since. She has a wealth of experience, not only in managing & planning school expeditions but also in leading expeditions to remote locations, including spending 3 months above the Arctic Circle, climbing Kilimanjaro and trekking through Bhutan & India. With a love of water sports, Kathryn is a diving, sailing, windsurfing & kayaking instructor and has taught all over the world.
When she isn't talking about the benefits of overseas youth travel as she has a huge passion for empowering young people, to learn and develop from these incredible experiences, she can be found out walking with her dog Nala, on her mountain bike or planning her next adventure to other far-flung destinations!
Kylie is our Finance Manager and qualified AAT in 2010. She is soon to be qualified for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, with just the final exam to go and has recently begun a Finance and Business Degree.
When not working hard on spreadsheets, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and family, and is a cross-fit fanatic!
Lizzie joined True Adventure in September 2015 with an extensive background in planning. In previous roles she has worked with both schools and government departments heading up logistics from Duke of Edinburgh expeditions to conferences for the Home Office. In her academic life, she has pursued her love of African religious history with practical research in Uganda and Rwanda, completing her BA in 2008 and MA in 2013. Whilst in Uganda, Lizzie learnt Luanda, the regional dialect of the Buganda people, and speaks a small amount of French.
Having travelled throughout south east Asia, the Indian sub-continent, north and eastern Africa and Canada her passion and first-hand knowledge of other cultures is extensive. Indeed, whilst in Mumbai Lizzie was asked to be an extra in a Bollywood film! Encouraging young people to get out there and explore the world is as important as tea in Lizzie's opinion.
Lizzie is a keen rugby player, competing in the annual university grand finals at Twickenham in 2008, she also likes to compete in cross country running and swimming events, such as Three Forts or the annual Christmas day sea swim!
Ever since Louise first travelled on her own to Canada at the age of 14 she has been hooked on travel. She has travelled extensively through Southeast Asia, Australasia and North and South America and has spent a year working in Australia.
Having worked in corporate marketing for over 15 years and in charity and education more recently, Louise has worked with young people and students throughout her career.
She is passionate about the great outdoors and its positive impact on wellbeing so in her spare time, you'll find her out walking and is always planning her next long-distance walk or travel adventure.
Job Titles:
- Expedition Planning Manager
Margaret has a wealth of experience working with young people of all ages. Having travelled since she was a teenager for both leisure and work, she understands first-hand the huge benefits that overseas expeditions can have and counts herself lucky that she now gets to combine her job with her love of adventure. Margaret has been fortunate enough to travel to places such as Thailand, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Europe, and America, and has been on expeditions to Peru, Nepal and Morocco. Ask Margaret what her favourite place in the world is, and she'd say it was a tie between Lisbon (for the food) and New Zealand (for the views and sea kayaking)!
Margaret is a passionate Guide leader, having been part of Guiding since she was 7. She has been a participant and led groups on trips to Mexico and Switzerland but, closer to home, can often be found on Guide camp in the Surrey Hills. At the weekend, she also loves gardening, walking, and introducing her two-year old son to the great outdoors!
Mark is extremely passionate about how beneficial and developmental our expeditions can be for young people. Having led his first expedition in the late 80s and since then personally leading in excess of 40 school expeditions coupled with serving for 26 years in the Armed Forces, Mark has developed an instinctive understanding of safety and the benefits of developing world travel.
As a previous Chairman of the Expedition Providers Association he has represented the wider expedition industry on various national safety committees. This along with his personal experience of operating in remote environments means he is perfectly suited to oversee True Adventure's "Safety and Backup, Planning, Team Training and Leader Selection".
As well as visiting the mountains, jungles deserts and seas of the world to scope out our itineraries, Mark is a keen triathlete and adventure racer having completed several Ironman triathlons and recently the desert race that is the Marathon Des Sables.
Meg has always had a fascination with being outdoors and international travel, however the real travel bug began after her expedition to India with True Adventure in 2009. Since then, Meg began shaping a world with adventure at its centre and has gone on to complete her degree in Outdoor & Adventure Education.
An avid traveller, she has visited many areas of Europe, North America & the Caribbean with the odd part of Africa and Asia thrown in too! When she's not planning her next adventure, you can often find Meg at the end of a rope or out walking in the countryside.
Megan went on expedition to India with True Adventure back in 2009. She has been a convert ever since! She is currently studying Outdoor and Adventure Education at Chichester University and is on placement with True Adventure for the next year.
Job Titles:
- UK & EU Schools Relationship Manager
Michael has an infectious passion for cultural immersion and personal development. He encourages students all-across Europe to aim high and achieve through exciting travel opportunities with True Adventure.
Michael has tons of experience within the industry and has led school expeditions to Tanzania, Kenya, Cambodia, Borneo and Costa Rica! When he is not seeking to provide life-changing expeditions to our students, you can find Michael searching for new international ventures of his own or playing American Football for Team GB!
We're always happy to talk travel and would love to find out more about your ideas.
Please do call or email us for more information, to organise a first meeting, or even just for a chat. We'll be delighted to hear from you.
Mike has been responsible for over 2000 school expeditions and is an acknowledged authority on safety and back-up. For over 40 years he has led expeditions to the jungles, mountains and deserts of the world. He has been the Chairman of the Expedition Providers Association and represented the school expedition sector on the national advisory group which supports Learning Outside the Classroom.
Mike was awarded the Sword of Honour when he graduated from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and was commissioned into 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles.
During his military career he was Chief Instructor at the jungle warfare school in Brunei, an instructor at the Joint Services Mountain Training Centre in Wales, and flew helicopters with the Army Air Corps before commanding the Army Mountain Training Centre in Germany.
He worked for the Foreign Office during the war in Yugoslavia, has been Director of an aid agency in Bosnia, and more recently led a multi-national UN team tasked with verifying the status of Maoists combatants during the civil war in Nepal.
Mike has led over 20 Himalayan expeditions including 4 to Everest, the summit of which he reached in 1999 at the age of 47. He is the author of The Storms which was published in 2015 and includes the disaster on Everest in 1996, following which Mike co-ordinated the rescue which was featured in the 2015 film "Everest".
He is a father of 3 and the proud grandfather of 4 granddaughters, the eldest of which celebrated her 8th birthday by trekking with Mike in Nepal.
Paul's first taste of international travel began when he was just 14 years old. It was an experience that formulated his life and his love of the outdoors and overseas travel began.
He has spent 35 years teaching outdoor education in outdoor centres and schools, and his love of the outdoors is as strong today as it was when he was a teenager. He is still actively climbing mountains and caving, but long-distance cycling is his latest hobby.
Paul is also a qualified teacher, caving instructor, international mountain leader, climbing instructor and diver. He has an MA in Education and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Raj graduated in medicine in 1999, but has been involved in the expedition world as long as he has been a doctor and has worked with True Adventure for many years now in his capacity as Company Doctor. He is a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and has a Diploma in Mountain Medicine amongst his many other qualifications.
He has operated in some of the most inhospitable places imaginable - in both a civilian and military capacity - from mountain, desert, polar and jungle environments, right through to warzones.
Raj is one of a select few individuals that has successfully climbed, unguided, the highest mountain on every continent in the world. He has led numerous expeditions worldwide gaining vast experience in austere environments, particularly when it comes to medicine in the mountains.
Notably he lead the Celebrity BBC Comic Relief climb, guiding a host of celebrities to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and raising £3.3million pounds to fight malaria in East Africa in process. He was also the Expedition Lead for David Beckham and friends as they trekked through the Amazon to the normally forbidden Yanomami tribe - a very special privilege.
Sam grew up in the Meon Valley, on the South Coast of England. Naturally, having National Parks and the sea on her doorstep, she has always loved being outdoors, getting her first pair of walking boots at a young age. This passion further developed into climbing and hiking. Whilst at school, Sam completed all three levels of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and gained her Gold Award at 18. She has continued to volunteer with the Award in many capacities ever since, it also opened up an opportunity to conquer her fear of heights and water by going Tall Ship sailing. Sam has achieved RYA sailing qualifications and volunteers as a Bosun's Mate, enabling her to sail all over the world. She has also pursued further disciplines to enhance her love of spotting marine and wildlife by completing her Sea Kayaking 3* Award and PADI Open Water.
Sam has been to over 60 countries and the number goes up every year! She loves the challenge of finding a new destination and creating an itinerary for her holiday. Sam's trip to K2 Base Camp and backpacking through Alaska and Canada really gave her the insight into wanting to travel all over the World. Most recently, Sam spent the summer travelling around the Alpine Regions of Europe, taking in 7 countries testing her alpine flower knowledge and climbing up 4,000m peaks. Sam's extensive mountaineering experience enables her to work towards her International Mountain Leader Award, which she hopes to complete within the next year.
When Sam is not up a mountain or out at sea, she can be found playing piano, or baking treats on the request of her friends.
Job Titles:
- Sales & Marketing Manager
Saskia has joined the team at True Adventure after recently completing her degree in London. Saskia is a true dog lover and can often be found out walking her dog no matter what the weather!
Whilst she is passionate about travelling and exploring, and is fortunate enough to have visited a few amazing places, there are many more that she plans to tick off of her list!
Shona has always loved to travel and seizes any opportunity to see and experience more of the world. Having spent much of her childhood in Brazil, living along the Amazon River, she developed an appreciation for different cultures and languages from an early age. Since then, she has been lucky enough to live in Italy and explore New Zealand, Australia, Europe and America, with many more destinations on the horizon!
With an inability to sit still for long, Shona enjoys spending her spare time trying out different sports. Her favourites have been hiking, cycling, rock climbing, and skiing. She has also dabbled in cheerleading and aerial hoop, which were a lot more fun than expected! When she has to sit still, Shona enjoys reading a good book, knitting, or making use of her music degree.
Stacy is originally from the South West coast but has grown up on the West coast of Ireland. Having an interest in the natural world and the outdoors from an early age, she spent time exploring everything the Irish coast has to offer and travelling internationally with family. She then went on to gain BSc in Zoology at University College Cork and MSc in Tropical Marine Biology at the University of Essex.
Stacy has experienced expedition life first hand through volunteering in Costa Rica and research trips to Indonesia. After leaving university, she spent 2 years working as a marine biologist in the Maldives, putting her PADI Advanced Open Water certification to great use!
Stacy loves to travel at every opportunity and has travelled solo in Europe, Asia, and Central America. She hopes to add South America to this list in the very near future.
Job Titles:
- Expedition Planning Manager
- Expedition Support Manager
Suzanne has worked in the school travel industry since 2011 and has a broad experience of supporting schools, students and parents throughout the expedition process.
She has visited many areas of Europe, North Africa and North America; gained hands on experience of expedition life on a trip to Vietnam and has many plans for future travels.
A keen walker, Suzanne's weekends are often spent exploring the local countryside or tackling parts of the UK's long-distance footpaths.
Tom left education with an ambition to see as much of the world as possible. His love for travel and adventure has taken him to some incredible locations around the globe. He has most recently spent half a year travelling the America's, sweating in the Amazon jungle and taking in the spectacular views in the high Andean mountains.
Before he went to university and studied conservation, Tom took not one, but three gap years. During this time, he visited Australia, South East Asia and spent nine months in New Zealand. Each new trip stoking the fire within to travel more. He knows first hand the impact that travel can have on someone, and loves having the opportunity to encourage young people to gain some of the life changing experiences he has had.
Tom has a real drive to push himself in new ways and is always looking for the next challenge, most recently completing the three peaks challenge, and always looking for the next!
Tom has had a fascination with travel and visiting the far flung corners of the world from a very early age, something that may have been helped when he moved to Hong Kong at only 3 months old! This was followed by time living in Brunei, Germany and Namibia whilst exploring the surrounding areas on family holidays.
At 15 he trekked to Everest Base Camp and at 17 boarded a train in Hong Kong, with his brother Dan, travelling via Beijing and Moscow to the Mediterranean coast of Spain, all by train, and visiting 15 countries along the way! At last count Tom has visited 75 countries and continues to look for new and exciting trips away and new True Adventure destinations.
Tom also enjoys time out in the countryside of the UK, he is a keen cyclist, runner, mountain walker, and although his playing days may be drawing to a close, he is also a big rugby fan. He enjoys cooking and during the summer often fires up the BBQ to cook meals for the whole True Adventure team.