The Business Club Networking - October 2025

James describes himself as a sober endurance athlete. He has an inspiring story of transformation, recovering from a broken neck, and subsequent depression and alcoholism for three years, and taking on a series of increasingly arduous fitness challenges.

James' relationship with time is a complex one, as he understands more than most what it is to have – for all intents and purposes in his own words – wasted a large chunk of his life. His sobriety has therefore been a journey of trying to learn how to better fill the time he has available to him.

Ben is a personal trainer who uses fitness not just to build health, but to empower mindset.

Two years ago, Ben thought he was in the best shape of his life, pushing my health and fitness to new limits, all the while completely unaware he was walking around with a ruptured aortic valve.

After ignoring the symptoms for 6 weeks, thinking it was merely blood pressure, Ben finally walked into the hospital, and within 7 days he was undergoing full open-heart surgery.

Not getting treated when he did could have led to complete heart and kidney failure... a powerful reminder of the life-saving importance of acting just in time.

Gary MacAlister works as a quality manager for Steve Vick International in Bradford on Avon. The role includes the daily operations of their ISO standards including Quality, environmental and H&S systems. Steve Wick International provide products primarily for the utilities sector, gas mains repair, and nuclear decommissioning.

Gary's links to the air ambulance started last year when he decided to take on a crazy world record challenge for them. Gary as been running since childhood, but his first proper race was the Great North Run in 1999. Since then, Gary has run many amazing races and marathons across the world and has been lucky enough to have raised well over £20k over the years for various charities. A highlight though was with the air ambulance earlier this year, when Gary broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest Half Marathon dressed as a 3D aircraft at the Bristol Half Marathon. They raised £4,000 and gained lots of regional and national coverage of the challenge and exposure for the charity.