Matthew Dieumegard-Thornton

Meet Matthew Dieumegard-Thornton – Mountaineer, speedwing and paragliding pilot, and all round adventurer. Also Nutella.

What drives you to spend time outside?

Everything is always so much more intense outside. Camping is always more fulfilling than the bedroom, and cycling in the rain is such a mental boost compared with the daily slog in a gym.

Where are your favourite places to go?

Scotland and the Alps are pretty much unbeatable. The Alps for the mountains, food, scenery, people and culture; Scotland for the really hard weather that makes the drive back down the M6 oh so rewarding.

What is your favourite thing to do outdoors?

Flying. Either from a mountain peak or from my favourite farmer’s field with my paramotor.

Who inspires you and how?

Everyone who ventures outside and manages to tell their experiences in a humble way so that no one could fail to be inspired by their adventures.

What are your focuses this year to help people get outside more often?

Keep telling people to climb the steps.

What are your 3 biggest life achievements?

Climbing Everest, all my cumulative time flying my wings and whilst they’re are a few others to mention, more recently taking my girlfriend for our first particularly nervy tandem paraglide is a particular highlight!

3 words you live by

Just be you.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Fuelling the palm oil industry with a love of anything made by the Ferraro company.