If I was told 5 years ago that I would be in the army, I wouldn't have believed you. Growing up, I have consistently been more passive than aggressive, more light-hearted than serious and more agreeable than confrontational. These traits aren't what people normally think of when it comes to the army.

However, I've always had a craving to help the wider community and be put through a range of different situations that test me mentally, physically and emotionally to see how far I can push my own personal limits. To prove the point, I've been tested in a sports science lab in a humidity test on a treadmill and they had to stop each trial because if I continued I would have caused damage to my internal organs! I've also pushed myself during training to black out underwater 3 times but that story is for another time.

I also like the feeling of being able to help during intense & high-paced emergency environments. I got my first real taster of this when I was volunteering on ambulances in Israel for 5 months when I was 18 years old. For whatever reason, I'm able to approach these situations with a clear mind and focus on the task at hand. Especially when working as a team with others.

The army environment provides me with a vehicle to serve the wider community while providing the challenge that I need as well as the chance to up-skill in multiple areas.