On this weeks episode I talk with Efrem Brynin
Efrem is the Co-Founder of Strongmen and he opens up about what he calls his first life and second life. Recalling a time in 2013, sitting with my wife in complete peace, his life was in complete balance. Just six months later everything had changed, that life he had loved was over. His son, James, was killed on his second tour of Afghanistan. In the immediate aftermath and to this day he has, and still experiences, the very worst imaginable emotions. Since James died, he has been diagnosed, treated for and am currently in remission for Prostate Cancer.
During 2016 he was lucky enough to play the part of Recruit #11 in Channel 4’s SAS Who Dares Wins, filmed on location in the jungles of Ecuador. Not only was this a truly unique and incredible experience, it almost certainly saved his life, as he first experienced the symptoms that led to his eventual cancer diagnosis 12 months later. It is also as a result of this programme that he got to know Matthew ‘Ollie’ Ollerton and subsequently Dan Cross, which eventually led them to form StrongMen.
"The never ending process of bereavement of somebody close to you is unique to all who have experienced it. Each of us have different relationships and dynamics, however, much of that experience is shared. To be able to provide the opportunity for people with similar experiences to reconnect with the outdoors, and share the comfort of those that have, and continue to “walk the walk” is something that not only excites me, but also helps me to continue my healing process."