In 1994, I joined the police as a special constable. I served 19 years and rose through the ranks, but I found it became very political, and I disagreed with some of the things happening due to austerity. Five years ago, I left and started volunteering as a community first responder, working in partnership with Yorkshire Ambulance Service. As well as being non-political, the service work fits in much better with my family because you’re based in the community: when I’m on call I can be waiting at home, watching the TV, until a job comes in. There is a lot more flexibility.

When I was a boy we would go on family holidays to the Lake District, doing walks and climbing small mountains, and my love of hiking grew from there. After learning to drive, I went walking with friends. We completed the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Help for Heroes: you climb the highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales, all within 24 hours – including driving between the three. 

I’ve been interested in archaeology – and industrial archaeology – for quite a few years, but my interest in gas holders goes back about two. My wife and I were on holiday and we called into Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, where there’s quite a prominent gas holder. I thought it was unusual and striking, so I took a photo of it. When we got home, I decided to start researching these structures.

I’ve been an engineer all my life. I began my career with an engineering apprenticeship and I served 35 years with the reserve forces in the Royal Logistic Corps, so I’ve always been interested in all things “green” [military].

We had quite an “active” scene at work, with a few of us mountain biking and doing other sports. A colleague who was into mountain boarding said that if I enjoyed mountain biking and skateboarding, why didn’t I try it? So I tried it, I enjoyed it, and I’m still doing it.

Before 2008 I used to run quite a bit. Then that year, I got a disease no one I knew had ever heard of – Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG) – which can affect the kidneys, lungs, eyes, ears and upper respiratory tract. Restricted blood flow can damage these organs and, untreated, WG can be fatal. I had to have chemotherapy and I was in a wheelchair. I was devastated. Four weeks earlier I’d been training for a half-marathon; but the disease left me with 15% lung damage and I thought my running days were over. Now I want to let people know that when you’re diagnosed with something like WG it’s not the end.

After my brother died two years ago at the relatively young age of 57, I decided I wanted to change my lifestyle, so I started swimming at a local pool every night because it suited my working hours and I found I really enjoyed it. Then someone said to me, ‘Why don’t you try the Great North Swim – an open-water race – for charity?’ So I decided I would give open-water swimming a go, and I swam the race to raise money for cancer charity Marie Curie.

I used to have a collie called Jessica, a rescue dog. We did the basic training, but then I saw an ad at the vet’s for a dog agility course. Jessica was really hyperactive and I thought she would probably love it, and I would too. We went along and she took to it like a duck to water.

My husband and I were looking for a hobby, so we started going to our local gym. At first, I focused entirely on cardio. Like many women, I thought that if I did weights I’d get big, but I know now that’s not necessarily the case. My husband encouraged me to try weights, so I started with squat lifting and it was so much fun.