Training for the Stories I Haven't Told Yet

When people think about adventure filmmaking, they often picture the end result—a drone sweeping across a mountain ridge, a kayak disappearing into the morning mist, or a climber standing on a summit after hours of effort.

What they don't see is everything that happens behind the camera.

The early starts. The long days on foot. Carrying backpacks loaded with cameras, lenses, drones and batteries. Hiking through jungles, climbing ridges and scrambling over rocks to get the shot.

I've never struggled with the physical demands of adventure filmmaking. In fact, it's one of the reasons I love what I do.

But recently, a routine health screening reminded me that there was one part of my life I hadn't been living quite as intentionally as the rest.

My LDL cholesterol came back much higher than I expected.

I felt perfectly fine. I wasn't tired. I wasn't struggling to carry my gear. I wasn't slowing down on expeditions.

And that's what made it so important.

Health problems don't always announce themselves. Sometimes they're quietly developing while we're busy living our lives.

Looking Beyond the Next Expedition

That health screening made me ask a simple question.

How many more stories do I want to tell?

The answer was easy. As many as possible.

I don't want to stop filming because my body can no longer keep up. I want to keep trekking through remote forests, riding across borders on my motorcycle, climbing mountains and discovering places that don't appear on most tourist maps.

The stories I'm looking forward to aren't next month—they're the ones I hope to be telling twenty years from now.

If that's the future I want, then I need to start investing in it today.

Building a life by design also means looking after the person living it.

It's Not About Giving Up Good Food

Those who know me know this wasn't about becoming a health fanatic.

I'm a home dining chef. I genuinely love food.

Some of my favourite memories have been built around incredible meals. There’s the ramen on a cold morning in Japan, fresh seafood after a motorcycle ride along Malaysia's east coast, or a perfectly cooked steak shared with friends over an outdoor grill.

I don't want to stop enjoying those experiences. I simply want to enjoy them for many years to come.

So this wasn't about giving up the foods I love. It was about making better everyday choices.

More whole foods. Better sources of protein. More vegetables, fruit and nuts. More water. No to ultra processed foods whenever I can.

The amazing meals are still there.

They're simply moments to savour rather than everyday habits.

The Truth Is, I Already Knew What to Do

Looking back, I realised something almost embarrassing. None of what I started doing was new.

I'd lifted weights.

I'd gone running.

I'd done intermittent fasting.

I'd chose whole foods over ultra processed junk countless times.

The knowledge was never the problem. Consistency was.

Like many people, I'd do the right things for a while, then get busy. Work would take over. Travel would interrupt routines. Gradually, healthy habits became occasional habits.

My health screening didn't teach me anything I didn't already know.

It simply reminded me that good habits only work when they become everyday habits.

So this time, I stopped looking for the next miracle diet or the perfect workout plan.

Instead, I focused on one thing.

Being intentional.

Every run had a purpose.

Every strength session had a purpose.

Every meal became another opportunity to make a better choice.

Nothing I did was revolutionary.

I simply became more intentional with habits I'd allowed to become inconsistent.

The Results So Far

It's only been a few weeks, so I'm certainly not claiming success yet.

In fact, my follow-up health screening showed that my cholesterol hadn't improved as quickly as I'd hoped.

At first, that was disappointing.

Then I realised something important.

One blood test doesn't define the journey.

Even so, the changes have been encouraging. Noticeable weight drop, more strength, running feels easier, recovery was faster. and certainly more energy throughout the day. It’s definitely encouraging to see my body respond to consistent habits.

The cholesterol is still a work in progress.

Everything else tells me I'm heading in the right direction.

Perhaps that's what intentional living really looks like—not perfection, but choosing the right direction every day.

This Is the Long Game: Intentionality

None of this is about chasing the perfect physique.

It's about protecting the freedom to continue living the life I love.

Every strength session is an investment in carrying my camera bag over the next mountain.

Every run prepares me for the next expedition.

Every healthier choice increases the odds that I'll still be exploring, filming and telling stories years from now.

I've spent the past few years making intentional choices about the work I do, the places I travel, the stories I tell and the life I want to live.

This health journey reminded me that my body deserves that same level of intention.

Adventure has taught me that reaching a destination is rarely about one giant leap.

It's about taking the next step, then the one after that.

Health isn't much different.

Neither is a life lived with intention.

An Invitation

If you've been putting your health on hold because work, family or life always seems to come first, perhaps this is your reminder.

Most of us already know what healthier habits look like.

The challenge isn't knowledge.

It's consistency.

Start with a walk.

Lift something a little heavier than yesterday.

Drink a little more water.

Cook one more meal from real ingredients.

Go to bed a little earlier.

Small decisions, repeated consistently, have a way of becoming something much bigger.

If this article has a message, it isn't "eat less" or "train harder."

It's simply this:

Choose to live intentionally.

Not because you're chasing the perfect body.

Not because you're trying to live forever.

But because your body is the one piece of equipment you'll carry on every adventure.

Enjoy the ramen.

Order the seafood.

Celebrate over a great meal with the people you care about.

Just remember that your body has to carry you to the next adventure too.

For me, looking after my health isn't about giving up the things I love.

It's about making sure I get to keep saying "yes" to the adventures ahead.

The stories I want to tell are still out there. Looking after my health is simply how I make sure I'm there to tell them.