At 17, I thought I had life all figured out. I dropped out of school, convinced that the world couldn’t teach me anything I didn’t already know. My focus? Water polo. Competing at the national level, I lived for the game, training relentlessly, chasing the next victory. But reality hit hard. Two months into an electrician apprenticeship, I knew this wasn’t my path. I needed something more.

Determined to shape my own future, I went back to school—at night—while spending my days on construction sites and training in the pool. Three years later, I had my A-levels, my apprenticeship, and a big decision to make. I pursued law, but my passion for water polo never faded. I juggled studies, night shifts, and coaching underprivileged kids, determined to make something of myself.

Then life threw me a curveball—fatherhood. With our first child on the way, I pivoted, seizing an opportunity in a trainee program at a major bank. I kept studying, kept playing, kept pushing. My career evolved—I moved into banking audit, then sales, all while balancing work, family, and my love for competition.

With three kids and nine national league titles to my name, I finally made the tough call to retire from water polo. I thought I was closing a chapter. Instead, life was about to test me in ways I never imagined.