Team Profiles
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Damon was born in 1968 at former RAF hospital Nocton Hall in Lincolnshire, and educated at nearby Branston secondary school. Damon served for 23 years with the Army Air Corps as an Helicopter Aircrewman/Gunnery Instructor before retiring from regular service as a Warrant Officer in Feb 2008. Since retiring and joining the Territorial Army, Damon has worked as a freelance mountaineering instructor as well as running his own successful outdoor pursuits company ‘Imp Adventures’. Damon is qualified to instruct all aspects of climbing and mountaineering throughout the world, both in summer and winter. Damon now lives with his wife Kathryn and their fantastic springer spaniel, Murphy. When not leading clients on exciting adventures around the globe Damon spends his time with Kathryn thrashing their bikes over the hills and training for, and competing in, UK Triathlons. Damon's other interests are fine wine and food, photography and travel.
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Phil was born in 1958 in North London, and grew up in Margate, Kent. He joined the Royal Marines in 1975 and spent 15 years in Commando Units, during which time he became a jungle warfare instructor. He spent several years on a Royal Navy Frigate after which followed two years training recruits at the Commando Training Centre at Lympstone, Devon. In 1991 Phil completed the Army Pilots Course and subsequently spent fifteen years flying throughout the world. He's served with UN peacekeeping forces, and undertaken operational tours in Northern Ireland as well as both Gulf conflicts. Phil is qualified as a Summer, Winter and Alpine Mountain Leader, and has trekked in India, Peru and Nepal and climbed in France, Austria, Norway, Italy, Switzerland and South America, climbing numerous 4000 metre Alpine peaks, and several peaks over 6000 metres in the greater ranges. He currently lives in Devon with his wife Tracy and has two grown up children.
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Beth was born in Northern Ireland and lived in Belfast and Dublin. She joined the Royal Army Medical Corps after completing a biology degree and spent four years in northern Germany. Beth left the Royal Army Medical Corps in order to study medicine, but remained with a TA regiment. After qualifying, she took a year out to explore mountaineering and humanitarian medicine in unexplored Greenland, Nepal, the Andes, and finally rural Ethiopia and the Kenyan desert. She also spent six weeks at Pheriche medical clinic, eight kilometres south of Everest Base Camp, and two weeks exploring locally. She lives on the edge of the Lake District and works as a doctor, fitting in expeditions when time allows which she hopes to do more of. Beth fell-runs, cycles and enjoys the mountains. Her other loves are good red wine and great food.
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Howard was born in 1952 and was educated at Alleynes’ Grammar School before gaining a Certificate in Education from the University of Leeds. He taught physical education and outdoor pursuits from 1974 until he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into the British Army in 1979. He became an Army helicopter pilot in 1982 and an instructor pilot in 1989. Prior to retiring from the Army in 2008 as a Major, Howard was the Army Senior Flying Standards Officer and a Central Flying School Examiner. He now instructs Army helicopter pilots in the Apache flight simulator. He is an avid outdoor person with a wife and two adult boys who all share his love of rock climbing, mountaineering, skiing and surfing. When not outdoors he enjoys playing guitar and singing with his rock band around
the West Hampshire area.
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Dan was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire in 1974. He attended local schools and college before gaining a degree in sport and exercise science. Following this Dan started a tennis coaching and personal training business, working in Cheltenham with sports teams and individuals, including national level competitors. Upon joining the Army In 1999, Dan attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he commissioned into the Army Air Corps (AAC). After gaining his pilots wings, Dan undertook tours in Northern Ireland; the United States, as an exchange pilot flying the Apache helicopter; Iraq and then a UK ground tour. Dan recently transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) and continues his flying career in the Welsh mountains as a Search and Rescue Pilot. Outside of work Dan is a competitive triathlete and mountain biker
and loves exploring the mountains with his wife Anita and springer spaniel.
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Guy was born April 1966 in Manchester and educated at Stand Grammar School. In 1982 he enlisted into Royal Engineers and trained to be a Combat Engineer. After ten years he transferred to the Adjutant General’s Corps and is now a Captain based in Germany. His time with the Army has taken him far and wide including tours in: Berlin, Northern Ireland, Norway, the Sinai, the Falkland Islands, Sierra Leone and Turkey. He has gained a number of military adventure training qualifications including: trekking, mountaineering and ice climbing, and has joined expeditions to: the USA, S Africa, Nepal, the Alps, Corsica and E Turkey; he has also passed the All Arms Commando Course. Guy is married to Marion and they have two young daughters. His other interests include: surfing, kayaking and photography.
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Chris was born in Essex in 1976, before moving to Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire where he went to school and 6th form college. Chris attended Coventry University to study Aerospace Systems Engineering before joining the Army as an Aircraft Technician in 1997. During Chris’ Army career he became involved in mountain climbing, which gave him the chance to travel to most continents and led to numerous mountaineering qualifications. When not in the mountains or abroad, Chris lives with his fiancée Laura in Bury St Edmunds and spends most of his time climbing in local climbing walls or in Thetford Forest mountain biking. When relaxing, Chris loves great food and has a passion for wine.
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Chris was born in Chesterfield in 1955 and educated at Newbold Green Secondary School. After leaving school, Chris worked as a electrician in the coal mines at Markham Colliery in Derbyshire and then as a 'ropes access specialist' inspecting structures and rock faces world wide. Chasing his dreams Chris became a qualified mountain leader in 1998 working in the UK and overseas, which included exploratory work in the jungles of central America, trekking and climbing many routes in the Himalayas and Andes. Chris currently resides in Lincolnshire. His other interests include: motorcycling, rock and ice climbing and diving.
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Andy was born in 1969 in Ayrshire, Scotland and attended Carrick Academy in the town of Maybole. He joined the Parachute Regiment at the age of 16 and served with 1 PARA for 11 years before being accepted for flying training. The next 12 years saw him serving as a Lynx pilot with the Army Air Corps achieving the rank of Warrant Officer. Andy has a Commercial Helicopter Licence and with his military career drawing to a close, he is about to embark on a career in the civil Aviation Industry. His interests include: cross country running, in which he still competes; cycling; searching the high areas of Great Britain for aircraft wrecks; real ale and folk music.
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Ann McCollum - Base Camp Manager
Born in 1964 in the 4th largest city in the US (Houston, Texas), Ann has spent her entire life trying to move closer to the mountains. Now living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ann earned her undergraduate degree at Middlebury College (Vermont) and her graduate degree at the University of Virginia. As a former middle and high school teacher and school administrator,Ann honed her skills wrangling the collective will and energy of her students and should be well-prepared to serve the Everest 4 Heroes team as Base Camp Manager. For over 20 years, Ann has also been a wilderness and outdoor educator working in summer camps and schools, training wilderness staff, and organizing and leading multi-day backcountry trips. These experiences prepared Ann to start a consulting business in which she specializes in risk management for schools and experiential education programs. She has led and taught students and adults in backpacking, hiking, climbing, kayaking, rafting and Himalayan trekking and service.