“I always wanted to be Robin Hood or John the Baptist when I was growing up.”

A man’s pride can be his downfall, and he needs to learn when to turn to others for support and guidance.

As for my diet, I try to eat lean, clean and healthy – nothing too surprising. And I avoid too much meat or dairy because they slow you down.

Weather can kill you so fast. The first priority of survival is getting protection from the extreme weather.

To get ready to climb Everest, I did a lot of hill running with a daypack on and a lot of underwater swimming. I would swim a couple of lengths underwater and then a couple above. It gets your body going with limited oxygen.

The extremes of jungles, mountains, and deserts are inherently dangerous places.

I come from a line of self-motivated, determined folk – not grand, not high society, but no-nonsense, family-minded go-getters.

It can be hard to explain. But I also relate to the quote that says, Iif you have to ask, you will never understand.

The line between life or death is determined by what we are willing to do.

Life has taught me to be very cautious of a man with a dream, especially a man who has teetered on the edge of life. It gives a fire and recklessness inside that is hard to quantify.

The greatest journeys all start with a single step.

My best life lessons and education didn’t come from a classroom – they’ve come from the wild. How you act in the big moments, the ones that challenge you, scare you, tempt you, and force you to make the right decisions, is what defines you.

Don’t be scared to dream big, and don’t be afraid to be close to people. And never give up! It’s the tenacious not the talented that win.

Once a job it has begun, do not stop until it’s done. Whether it is big or small, do it well or not all.

All worthwhile journeys have big obstacles. It’s the way of the world. The rewards go to those who can push through those trying moments and still manage to keep a smile on their face.

The special forces gave me the self-confidence to do some extraordinary things in my life. Climbing Everest then cemented my belief in myself.

I look back and understand the world a bit better and know how competitive it is .

My ordination in the Church of God in Christ was at age 9, and I later became a Baptist minister, which I am today.

As a Baptist minister, I don’t have the right to impose my views on anyone else. If committed gay and lesbian couples want to marry, that is their business; none of us should stand in their way

I have never been brought up a Catholic – I mean, a Roman Catholic – we’re all Catholics, aren’t we? We’re Protestant Catholics, whether we’re from Methodist or Baptist or what.