Who am I?
An ordinary guy, from an average family, with slightly above average intelligence, but a grifter who is wading through life, and growing stronger and stronger with each passing day.
That’s me….even my name is ordinary, average, common….Andrew John Smith.
My mum tells me she wanted to call me John, but being from Yorkshire, having a son named after a beer…well my parents couldn’t have that. So having already used four of the apostles names for my two older brothers, my parents decided on Andrew John – Andrew meaning “manly,” “strong,” and “brave” and John from the Hebrew “God has been gracious”
My parents moved from Leeds to Ilkley in 1978, and shortly before I was born. My mother was a teacher, my father an engineer.
I am lucky enough to be a Gen Xer and born in God’s Own County, Yorkshire, and I grew up exploring and playing on the moors around Ilkley. A fact that probably explains why I now find myself on this journey.
A short introduction covering your Yorkshire background, work, personality and the fact that you were not previously an endurance athlete.
1978 to 2023: Before the change
Describe your earlier health, weight, fitness and lifestyle honestly, without making the page feel like a medical record.
2024
3. The turning point
Explain the events that caused you to reconsider your health and future, including your father’s illness and death where you are comfortable doing so.
4. Rebuilding through consistency
Describe how Peloton, cycling, walking, running and gradual changes helped you regain fitness and confidence.
5. The first Tough Mudder
Explain why completing the Yorkshire 15K mattered and why it became more than a one-off event.
6. The birth of Tough Smudge
Explain the name, the Yorkshire character behind it and the decision to document the experience publicly.
7. Why Prostate Cancer UK
Explain the personal connection and why direct charitable fundraising is central to the project.
8. What I hope others take from it
End with a broader message about change, age, grief, health and attempting something that initially seems unrealistic.
Main call to action
- Follow My Journey
- Donate to Prostate Cancer UK