Alex: Guys, Alex from Combat Fuel and welcome to our podcast.

We're joined today by Thomas Day or time day.

He's probably gonna absolutely hate me for calling him Thomas now.

Tags, as you probably know him, he is a former Royal Marine.

He has no dad, but he is actually, he's one of us.

He's our guys.

Tes hello.

Tegs: Hello.

Thank you for coming.

That's, there's so many cameras here.

It's very exciting.

I feel the most, this is the most professional thing I've ever done in

my life, but it's good to be here.

You probably have seen me about, I'm on combat fuel pages and probably your view

page more than you actually like but it's good that it's good to be down here.

Alex: Me.

Absolutely.

And what we're gonna do here is basically go through his life from all of us

started off being nobodies when we came out as babies to being a somebody,

he is a good friend of the brand.

It's a good personal friend.

So with your life mate.

Where did it start?

I mean, I feel like I've lived about four different lifetimes and I'm only 27.

Tegs: I've definitely aged since leaving the military more than I was in, but

born bred in Redding and then moved down to Wales when I was about two.

And then pretty much we were living in the Southwest for my entire

life, which is probably why I ended up going into the military.

I lived used to live in Exm Smith, which was right next to obviously

Ton Commando train station.

So going past that every single day to go to school, it's fucking

inevitable that eventually I was into you from a young age.

Yeah.

I was al I'd always just remember going on the train to school.

So I used to go to school in Exeter and I'd always get on the

train from exit every single day.

And like I'd always see just lads getting smashed on bottom field.

Alex: Yeah.

And I was like, oh, that looks pretty sick.

And then obviously as I went.

To school started getting into the whole music side of things

is obviously how I, was it.

So when you were, did you have a role model when you were young?

Was it someone that you looked up to?

I mean, seeing raw Marines all the time, was that something

you thought you wanted to do?

Tegs: Not really, because I just think, especially nowadays 'cause so

social media is so massive nowadays.

Yeah.

Which evidently it wasn't when we were growing up.

Was it wasn't really a thing was No, when I was 9, 10, 11, mate, like the only

sort of entertainment and phone I had was snake extender, say 33, 10 and a P two.

There wasn't any of this.

Yeah.

What there is today.

So I think it was, I was, no one in my family was military.

And no one in my family is like my mom was a teacher.

Yeah.

Like she was on her own single mom.

So it's, we, there was no real exposure to that.

The only sort of exposure I had to the military was.

Was like the orchestra I played at because the conductor was an ex-Marines bandsmen.

That's the only way I actually put two and two together.

But I think as always are with like with role wars apart from TPC on TV

and an ad, I wouldn't really say there was like a role model ad growing up.

Alex: Absolute.

I was absolutely, I was just just probably my mum actually.

Role woman.

Mom.

If you're watching this, I love you.

Yeah.

Sweet, isn't it?

You're lovely.

Tell your mom you love her.

Yeah.

So I mean to touch on that briefly then, so you say your mom's single mom

growing up, and I know we all like to joke about it and stuff, but did it

affect you not having a dad growing up?

Tegs: I wouldn't say so, mate.

I think it's, I think a lot of people, obviously this is just my

situation, it's own, but I think.

I, a lot of people obviously would play on it.

Yeah.

But I genuinely think it probably has shaped me into the bloke I am now.

I genuinely don't think that you need both parents, if you've, like with

my mum, she literally looked after me and my younger brother on her own.

Which is credible, which is absolutely crazy.

Looking back at it now, like I can better look after myself and I just think if

like my mom's managed to do it on her own with two kids, like absolutely.

It's absolutely crazy, mate.

So I think it's, I don't, I really don't think it has affect affected

me, which is probably why I can joke about it so much like that.

And my airline are just two things that are non-existent.

So it's, it is one of those where I think if you let it affect you Yes.

Then it, well then you can say that with everything in it.

Absolutely.

Or you can if you let anything affect you, you are, you can have a negative.

Look on anything be given, do deal with the hand you're dealt in life, right?

Yeah.

And it's, yeah.

And I Gen, yeah.

I genuinely make of it what you are.

And when loads of people ask about it and they say oh, is it not affect you?

Is it like weird talking about it?

Is it weird?

You joke about it online?

It's because it's, I've had, because he left so young, five years old.

Yeah.

I think I was there's, it was so long ago, 22 years ago.

I can't barely remember what his name is or what he looks like.

Yeah.

And that you've had no contact since No contact, no nothing but game's a game.

He is missing out on me doing all this mental shit in it.

So it's absolutely it's it is one of those.

So I, yeah.

But I, like I said to you I just genuinely think that because we haven't, I haven't

let it affect me because as, 'cause I've grown up knowing nothing less.

I don't, I just don't think it's a, it is a problem really like that.

Well, I hope he sees this.

I hope he sees your social media, looks at it and thinks what a lad,

Alex: yeah.

Legend.

No, homo, I'm proud of you.

Yeah.

What a legend.

Everything you've achieved, but Absolutely.

But I think for any, anyone else out there that, that may be in a similar

situation, just deal with it, yeah.

You can only let things affect you and only don't be stressed about

the things you can't control.

Which is brilliant.

Obviously you lived in around Ton, you saw the Royal Marines.

I would say that was inevitable.

But that's not where you started, was it?

You were a musician.

I was.

Was it a triangle?

I was a bi, I was a bandi.

Yeah, A bandi is what I was originally no, but even before

that, you were heavily into music.

Tegs: Yeah, the mu the music thing was massive for me.

Like my whole background used to be like the performing arts.

So I used to be like every single thing under the sun that would get you bullied.

We're talking ballet, we are talking acting.

We are talking some Billy Elliot mother fucker.

Yeah.

Billy Elliott.

Shit.

Except I was just chubby and overweight like that.

So like, when I was in a leotard, I looked proper fruity.

Love it.

It was mental.

Love it.

I'd say, mate, from the age of 11, I said, I think I was in year six.

And I was at school and it's basically they came the teachers

came in and they were like, look, we're gonna basically just razz

you through some music instruments.

Yeah.

And then I got given a trumpet and I just remember blown into it.

As well.

And I was just like, oh, this is thing you float into, is it?

And I was like, this is pretty cool man.

And then I picked it up quite well in the first couple of months

and then it grew from there.

I started having like lessons and then joined the orchestras.

I basically joined this thing called like a Devon Youth Wind Orchestra.

So basically like throwing to the whole of the uk they have them for different

like counties, states, whatever you do.

Loads of cool shit.

So if you're down south, you probably know of Devon County

Show and all that good stuff.

And you, we basically went around like the country, like doing gigs.

It was mega cool.

And it's obviously all of the people that you obviously had

to be like a certain standard, a certain level to play in the band.

'cause obviously the level of music is basically the more equipped

and experienced the band is and the better music you can play.

You're not just doing really just shy arrangements of like poor music.

You could do loads and loads of cool stuff.

And that's where it stemmed from.

And I think join there about 13, 14.

I was there on and off for about three, four years.

And then the whole reason I, like I said earlier, the whole reason I got

into it was 'cause the conductor of the bland, the bloke who stands at the front

waving his stick about he basically was an ex rumor in his bands man.

And when he basically sat down and asked me, and he was like, what

do you wanna do when you turn 18?

Do you wanna go to uni?

Do you wanna do anything like that?

And I was just like, I'm a bit too solid to go to university.

I only have one, one a level.

He was like, why do you not think about joining the

military doing the band service?

And I didn't even know that the raw Marines had a band service.

So I went down to, they did a, I dunno what you, I dunno what you like, the mil,

the other forces equivalent is of it.

But you basically have like a week, like a look at life.

There's a look at life course, that's what it's called.

You go down for five days and we got embedded with the band.

We're playing like music with 'em, some of the, getting exposed to

some of the stuff that they do, obviously a lot higher standard.

And then we did a little bit of fizz and just like a look into what

life would be like if you joined.

And then after that I was like, yeah, I fucking love it.

It's sick.

So you then I then put my application in.

The application process took around nine months just because they only have one

intake a year, so you have to do your medical interviews, all that good stuff.

And then you go down and it's not like PRMC where you just go

down and get THR for three days.

It's a proper five day course.

And they basically will assess you on not just the instrument that you want,

you basically apply to join the category.

So I wanted to obviously be a trumpeter.

And then, but they audition you on loads of different types of instruments

because they have these things called like jewel and triple categories.

So you could, so one of the categories is solo trumpet, for example, which is

you are basically the dog's bullocks.

If you're playing solo trumpet, you get all the solos, all

the bitches, everything.

Where, but then you have things like if you are not as good as

someone on the solo trumpet, you would be like a corn for example.

But you'd also double up on a string instrument.

So you've got you'd be calling it and violin or corn and viola.

If you are, if you play like any bass instrument, you're basically fucked.

'cause you've gotta learn three instruments.

It's like tuber, double bass and bass guitar.

There's, it's not an easy process to, to join and get in there.

Then so so you basically audition on loads of these different instruments

and then I audition on the trumpet basically there was a, 'cause it's

such a common instrument I basically got told that I didn't make the cut

for trumpet, but they were like, ah, yeah I basically tried the French horn.

Yeah, horn.

I know.

Not helping out this whole bullying ade, but yeah, I got given the horn

and they were like, look, we wanna give you a category on the horn.

Horn is a thing on its own 'cause it's quite challenging.

I was like, yeah, fuck it, I'll take it.

And then I literally just went into the school of music from there,

two and a half years training.

Alex: So your call to serve was from when you were a youngster really into Yeah.

At your body.

I turned 18 on the 26th of August.

Your bike conductor in 2016.

And then I literally started training on the 3rd of September.

Nice.

So I literally was in from 18 to 26.

Brilliant.

So again, that, that cliche, a lot of people are like, oh,

I want to join because I wanna serve my country, I wanna do this.

Tegs: And it very patriotic, especially that time, there was a ha era that

was coming to an end in Afghanistan.

Was any of that a pull towards you?

I was really interested in the what is it, like the secondary role?

Like a lot of, like a lot of the band service, like their secondary role is

all like CBRN helping out, like medically basically being that sort of assistance.

Yeah.

Which I thought was really cool.

And I think it's it did appeal to me the Mando side of things, but because

I'd done music for so long, I was like, I've sat down with, my mom had a chat

and it was like, why would we waste.

Seven years of all this hard work I've put in.

So I was like, oh, right, let's just go give the band service route like a go.

And obviously we'll come onto it in a bit about the whole transfer process and that,

but so was there anything physical to do?

Yeah.

To get into the band as well?

So you do you do a fitness test, but any Tom, Dick and Harry can do it.

I think it is really, you do a mile and a half in 13 minutes, that's like the cutoff

or Yeah, no, it is a 13 minute and a half minute troop run and then 11 and a half

minute best effort mile and a half, which is, it really isn't that hard at all.

And then you have to do like a certain amount of press up in two minutes and a

certain amount of setups in two minutes.

It's really not that challenging.

Bit like the old school Army P ffa.

Yeah.

But pretty much.

Nice.

And then you basically do like a water down phase one, so you still

have to have a level of green skills.

Yes.

But it's, I mean, you're getting white angels up to Woodbury Common.

You're not yawning anywhere with kit.

It's just the basic level of field craft.

And a couple of other bits just so that if you were to go into that secondary

role, you are not there as a liability.

You are there as actually someone that can, so you could

still soldier should you?

Yeah.

Should you soldier need to have it soldier.

Yeah.

Alex: Should it really need to happen?

Right.

And was there a defining moment of where you, you'd gone through

you'd been accepted to then join the Royal Marines band.

Was there anything that you're like, this is what I'm gonna do.

I want to go and do the band.

Did you have any aspirations to go any further with it?

Tegs: Or was it just, let's join, I've been accepted and

let's see where this goes?

It was because I didn't really have a plan B. Like I, everyone always ask me social

media, and they always talk about Plan Bs.

And, ah, I wanna join the Marines, but they're like, I'm

worried if it doesn't work out.

And I always like laugh.

Why?

Why are you giving yourself a plan B?

Yeah, you're giving yourself a plan B. You're just asking yourself.

Fail.

Yeah.

So like I've only ever had a plan A Yeah.

Really in anything I've ever done.

I love that.

I've had a lot of time for that.

Yeah.

But I was like, look, let's just, I've got I really didn't have a

plan of what else I was gonna do.

Alex: Yeah.

But I just thought, fuck it.

Let's just see how this plays out.

I'm very much a wing it person.

Yeah.

I don't really think more than one month, six weeks ahead.

I mean, it comes back to certainly we share the same ethos, don't we?

If you go full send on something, you can't fail if you never give up though.

Tegs: However, the band wasn't obviously the all for you.

How long did you do in there before something else happened?

So I ended up doing four, four years total in the band service.

And the whole transfer process basically leads up to basically like

the whole reason why I talk about no regret and everything in my life.

And it's purely because, so when I finished my phase one training

they offered a couple of us the opportunity to basically.

Branch transfer across into the IES commando.

So you were basically joined at like week 12.

So when you finish your phase one, and I basically got offered, when I finished

phase one training, they saw I had potential to go into the IES Commando.

So I sat down with my boss in the office when we were having our end of

brief or whatever before we left CTC.

And he went, oh, have you ever thought about joining the raw marine commandos?

And I said, I have thought about it in the past.

It's like living from ex, like I said, living in xmu, going

on that train every single day.

And I was like, oh, that's really something I would be considering.

And then he basically said, right, go over on Christmas, leave.

Think about it, the offer's there.

And then I ended up going to Portsmouth School of Music, settled in there.

I was struggling a bit because I was obviously learning a new instrument

from scratch and I basically just sat on my laurels and I was putting it off

and putting it off and putting it off.

And then I basically got to that six month point.

Where they've invested that much time in you, you can't transfer and you

have to do your return of service.

And literally, I remember as soon as I hit that day, I was like,

fuck, this is the first thing that I've regretted not acting upon.

And then I basically, I still enjoy my time with the band service.

Don't get me wrong, I did some awesome stuff like got to fucking travel

about Belfast International tattoo, changing the guard in London, fucking

playing outside Buckingham Palace.

All stuff that musicians would like dream of.

But throughout my entire training for the raw band service, I was just, I just

had that thought in my mind every day.

Alex: I think.

Could you almost say that you were happy but you didn't have a deep

sense of fulfillment in what you did because there was a bit of

drinking going on back then, was it?

Yeah, there was a lot, there was a lot of drinking mate.

Yeah.

And doing a lot of extracurricular activities in terms of

the band that wasn't it?

Tegs: Yeah.

Where you were going away doing gigs.

Yeah.

It's hard.

It is hard to keep tracking your fizz on the road mate, because

you're constantly in, constantly on coaches, constantly in hotels.

Eating shit foods like the booze culture is massive.

And it just led me to just get, I mean I'm only five foot seven, but I was like 92

kilos of just like easily 30% body fat.

And it was just like, I was very comfortable because I could do

the job and like it was a good job, but it wasn't challenging me

in the way that I wanted it to.

And I still had that thought in the back of my mind of

I've let this opportunity go.

And when I basically tried to put in my request to transfer again, they said The

only way you're gonna get out of Rosebury School of Music is passing outta training.

And at that point, I still had six months left before I was

supposed to pass out in September.

And I spoke to my instructor and I was like, right, I wanna get out of here.

I do.

And I like the goal is now Ridge Commandos.

And he went, right, we'll just pass out training early.

So I passed out training three months early in April.

Which you can do, if they think you're good enough, they, you can pass out.

I went up to Scotland and then literally, I remember the day

I went up to Scotland Band.

They were like, oh, what do you wanna achieve from your draft?

And I was like, I want to transfer.

Really?

They were like, well, what, when do you wanna promote all this stuff?

And I went, I would like a green berry please.

And they were like, they're too fair.

They were mega accepting, mega understand.

They went right, cool.

We'll do all this stuff.

So I went on a medical deployment on RFA Argus, like a training

deployment for three months to upskill me and all that good stuff.

And then came back and then I literally did my PRMC in February.

I think I came back from that deployment in November and then, well not deployment,

training, exercise, and then obviously did my PRMC in February passed that.

It's obviously now the CPC, it's all mega changed and then COVID hit.

So I was then like treading water for eight months and I

was and just touching back.

Alex: So you've gone from this like overweight 30% body fat bandy to

being fit enough to join the Royal Marines, like one of the elite fighting

forces of the British military.

Yeah.

How what was your, why?

Why did you go there and what gave you that driving factor to

be able to turn your life around?

Tegs: I tell you what it was from a physical point of view, if nothing

else, for me it was the thing that I like hated the most was when people

asked what I did and I said I was in the Royal Marines, I then would say

Band service afterwards and a lot of people would say, oh, not the commandos.

And I'd be like, no, not the commandos.

And I know that's quite like a lot of like cocky and self-centered

things, that's all like ego in it.

But I think a lot of the stuff I do is probably for a little bit of ego.

I like, I having that chip on my shoulder and being like, yeah, I've done all

this cool shit and now I'm like hard trying to be like this like hard bloke.

I quite enjoy and thrive off people.

When I tell people I do some of the crazy stuff I do on social media nowadays.

Yeah.

I'm like, oh yeah, I've done this.

And they go.

What that is.

That is nuts.

And I'm like, oh yeah, that's sick.

This bloke thinks I'm a bit fucking weird in the end.

Yeah.

That's what I like, really enjoy.

Yeah.

And that's that.

And that was your like sense of a achieve.

Yeah.

Your sense of I've got this done and it was like we said, the

band service stuff was mega.

I was mega comfortable.

Yeah.

In it.

But it was one of those where I was just, it getting, it was to me a bit

where I was just, where I kept saying oh, I'm in the Royal Marines Band Service.

And don't get me wrong, it's the band.

The Royals band service is extremely reputable.

Like one of the best bands in the world.

Yeah.

Like everyone in the court, I know everyone in the court loves to band

service 'cause I play pass outs.

They always think the band is hoofing.

Yeah.

I've done so many gigs for like in seniors messes when they have all their piss ups

and I, yeah, it's just a little quintet that are playing some banging tunes.

Alex: It's mega.

Love it.

But for me it was just, it started to get to me a bit that one I let go

of that opportunity those years ago.

And two, it was like I, that's how I knew I needed to change.

Because I, it was still getting to me and I was still thinking about

it 1, 2, 3 years down the line.

Yeah.

And I was like, absolutely, this is where I need to just

take the leap and go for it.

Tegs: Nice.

So COVID had happened an eight month delay, then training started.

And did you get to start on week 12 or did you have to go back and start

from I actually lost my bear mate.

So we, I did PRMC and then obviously when COVID hit and all that

stuff, it ba they basically had a massive restructure of training.

So they introduced the r the recruit orientation phase.

So training actually got pushed to 36 weeks.

And in the first four weeks of Rob, you have to wear like a little MTP cap.

Yeah.

I obviously had my blueberry from the band service.

Yeah.

Blah, blah blah.

And then I went in to start the rob and I got my blueberry taken off me, so I lost

my cap badge and then I had to put an MTP cap on before weeks little crap hat.

Alex: Yeah.

And I was getting taught like how to iron again and I was

like, this is fucking so surreal.

Was there a point then when you were like, when you need a lot of discipline to go

from you, you'd passed out, you were still in the military to then come back being

taught week one, day one, this is how to iron, this is how to wash yourself.

Tegs: Yeah.

You've got a screw stood in the shower naked being like, you gotta pull

your shaft up, pull your full skin back, and this is how we got wash.

Was that quite hard?

Did you need a lot of discipline to do it?

No, I like, or did you see the end state of Ben night?

I liked it, mate, because I didn't want to have anyone say that I

had it easier than anyone else.

Yeah.

I feel like if I come in at a certain period, like 4, 8, 12 weeks in,

it would just be someone somewhere would say, oh, you had it easier.

You didn't have to do this.

You didn't have to do that.

I wanted to just be, I didn't wanna be known as that bloke who was a bandee.

I just wanted to be known as a nod.

I just wanted to be known as I'm the exact same as everyone else, just

because I've had a bit of military experience in terms of the admin side of

things, yeah, I could iron a little bit better than some people, but, alright.

Do you iron anything nowadays?

No.

No I don't.

My misses does everything.

Alex: No, literally.

Literally does everything.

You don't need to iron now I'm assuming.

Who's gonna tell me off?

I'm my own boss.

I'm not gonna tell myself off and not ironing.

It hangs up in the air cover.

That's it.

That's iron self.

But so we're gone through training.

It's very rare for anyone who's joined up as a rule marine

commando to go through training.

Tegs: But it's super rare for people to pass that as an original

and original means to not be back squatted at any part through injury,

failure to perform anything like that.

Failing fitness tests.

Did you get back squatted?

No original baby.

So probably one of my proudest fucking achievements mate.

You gonna say that?

A lot of people don't notice about text.

Well, I think it's, it is absolutely phenomenal.

So not only did you pass that as an original, which is brilliant.

I mean, what you might get 20, 30% originals in a troop that passed out.

So the numbers, so we started off with, I still remember these numbers

because it's fucking, like I said, one of the prep, one of my fucking best

achievements started off with 85 people.

That was on week one.

Day one in the Rock.

We had an extra 31 people like come through our troop.

Yeah.

From like obviously a hunter and people getting back troops and whatever.

Yeah.

And out.

And then I think 17 of us passed out in 3 0 7 troop.

And outta that 17, I think nine were originals to nine.

From 85 to nine.

Yeah.

85 to nine.

And then, and that's not even the most impressive part is it?

And you know where I'm going with this.

But the other guys don't.

So to have joined the Royal Marines band.

And then transferred to the Royal Marines Commando.

When did the last person do it?

And not only when was the last person did it, when was the last person that did it?

That passed out as an original.

So I think the last person that actually transferred across with

a good like 70, 80, a hundred years ago, a couple of people have

obviously tried to go down like.

Officer who end up getting injured because obviously training is hard.

Yeah.

Everything is mega, mega hard.

And then obviously they get injured and they end up just

going back to the sort of band.

But it been, it is been a fair few.

It's mega rare mega I was just known as like the Bandi, the bandee around

camp that would like, everyone would be like, oh, what weeks are you on now?

What weeks are you on now?

Yeah.

And it's like almost that, were people waiting for you to fail something, to

be back schooled, to have an injury or, I think a couple of people were

expecting it because obviously like people that have from the band that

have transferred beforehand and then they get injured and go back and they

just think, oh, it's another Bandi, that's another band coming through.

But and I was just like, but mate, like not, I always say that lockdown

was the time of my life that sort of shaped me into who I am now.

Yeah.

I had a full like factory reset, bodily reset over those eight months.

All I did was like.

I was watching commando school on YouTube and commando on the

front line every fucking week.

I was training every single day.

Like no gym as well, by the way.

Yeah.

You gotta think the first six months.

Yeah.

No, nothing.

I literally bought some weights from a gym that closed down, obviously.

'cause of the lockdown.

Yeah.

Cool.

You must been rich then buying weights during lockdown.

It was like, no, this was right.

The start, mate, it cost me a hundred quid, four for 130 kilo of weight

and a barbell of facing marketplace.

I mean, bloke was probably hanging out, which is why he was selling it so cheap.

Yeah.

And I literally would set up in my garden, I, we had cushions from our

garden chairs that I put on the floor to have as like deadlift cushions

so it didn't crack the concrete.

And I would just run five times a week.

And I literally took my 5K down from 25 minutes to 19 minutes.

My mile and a half got down to eight 15.

I was maxing, press up, sit ups, pullups, like I was the fittest.

I, it's, it is only taken me till now after doing a fucking ultra marathon

and everything else to get to the same level of fitness as I was.

When I was in lockdown, but I was do, I went well into the, all

the stoicism stuff, the mindset.

And like for those eight months, I had no distractions, no nothing obviously.

'cause you couldn't, 'cause it was COVID and I will never

get a time like that again.

But if it wasn't for COVID, I don't think I would've passed out of trading

because the, my improvement from PRMC to when I started training was so

substantial at PRMC, I think I got like a nine minute 45 run and then

I got 45 press up a level 11.2 beep.

And then 70 sit ups and eight pull-ups.

So I went from doing that to Max and everything.

And also just, I was doing like rogue shit mate.

Like whenever it would rain, I'd be like, mom, I'm going out.

And I'd just be running around as like running around topless

around topless in the rain.

I'd be ice bathing it every morning.

I'd be making myself get up at five o'clock, like proper weird shit mate.

I mean, and then interwar marine training.

It is hard.

It is stressful.

Were there any setbacks at all where you thought, I'm not gonna make this.

I wouldn't I don't think, I think because I was so confident in myself,

like when I left the Royal Ridge Band Service one of my last days, I

remember being like, going to everyone.

You are never gonna see me again.

But burn all my Bri I, but proper fucking that.

I mean, then you've got to, you had to pass out, didn't you?

Yeah, because I was there like, if you've got a boat picture like that, I was,

yeah, you're never gonna see me again.

Yeah.

I'm gonna pass out.

I literally said I'm gonna pass out and pass out as an original,

because in my head I was like, if I'd gone into Hunter, because I'd

given it all this Billy big bollocks.

Yeah.

I was like, if I'd gone into Hunter, I'd have to go off grid.

I'd have to just go live in the woods, in a hut somewhere.

Because it'd be that embarrassing.

I think because I've just had so much confidence in myself.

Yeah, brilliant.

Going through that way back yourself.

Yeah.

Back yourself.

Hard.

That's, and I think that's like something that put it down to it, but so obviously

some of the exercises you do, like violent entries, a massive one where everyone

always shipped it by violent entry.

Like you'll be the grot the week before.

Everyone's oh, violent entry this week.

And well nervous.

I've heard horror stories about it.

Yeah.

But that was ridic, that was like sunny bridge.

Seven days.

Yeah, just rain and snow constantly.

That was well odd.

But obviously like loads of stuff was like mega challenging.

But I don't, there was never a point where I was like, oh, I'm gonna give up here.

I'm gonna do that.

Because I was just nice.

I was just, was I was so obsessed mate.

Like probably an unhealthy obsession.

But like we always say that.

So I never think there's such a thing as an unhealthy obsession.

I think if you're obsessed with something, obsessed is what the laser use, and

that's the words they use to describe the dedicated, don't believe there's

such a thing as unhealthy obsession.

Because also, look at where you are now.

If you hadn't had that unhealthy obsession.

You wouldn't be where you are now.

So I think it's what makes people that are successful.

Yeah, absolutely does.

And it goes back to that COVID debate and it is one of those where it was

such a weird time in the world, but like I said, if I didn't have that

period of eight months where I've shaped myself into the mindset I have now,

I feel is very rare in an individual, like the constant ability to lead

to like work, do stuff out of hours.

Like consciously going outta your way.

Yeah.

So I mean PE people, I've said some people, but a lot of people I think

expect it on a plate given to them.

They don't have that ability to turn around and be like, I

want that and I want to get it.

Ain't no one doing it for me, so I'm gonna go and I'm gonna get it.

And I think you've done pretty well at getting yourself there, haven't you?

Yeah.

Wow.

It's still a work in progress, but I think it always will be, there's

always a work in progress, isn't it?

I think it always will be.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

However, you didn't stay in the Royal Marines because you obviously

sat here now as a civilian.

Alex: How long did you do in the Royal Marines?

So I ended up doing four and a half years in the Royal Marines.

I tx on April the first, I think.

No, April the 27th, 2025 this year.

So technically I've only been out the military for six months.

Awesome.

Before we get onto to where we're now though, military highlight best, best

time of service as a Royal Marines.

Tegs: Kwando America.

I always say this till the fucking cows come Home America.

2023. California Pickle Meadows.

Oh.

Like the whole, it was my first like proper trip away with the Marines.

And we were out like working with the Yanks, doing mountain training.

Just proper odd shit.

I trained for it.

Like fuck.

Once again, got myself well, well fit.

'cause I knew exactly what I was doing my first trip with heavy weapons,

air defense absolutely loved it.

Air defense, if any Air defense boys are watching, get up lads.

I'm like such a good little group of lads, like 60 boys.

Just all just love like banging weights, being fit, brilliant.

Carrying heavy shit.

Nice firing rocket launches.

Nice fucking works.

What was that moment then where you're like, love my time, but I'm done.

I'm getting out.

Because you'd already started doing a bit on social media, hadn't you?

So I got back from Norway 2024, and I got back from the Norway

and I was just it wasn't really like doing it for me anymore.

Do you mean like the itch was like, I could have, I could've stayed in.

I felt like I was coming to that awkward time where I'd always said in my head,

especially when, even when I joined the band service, that I didn't want

to be in the military when I was 30.

I feel like starting something new when you're a tiny bit

older is mega, mega difficult.

Just because like you're like, there's so many other people doing

so many other things and the longer you leave it, blah, blah, blah.

Yeah.

And I was thinking if I want to set up another life for myself

outside of the military, I'd rather leave a little bit earlier.

Yeah.

No better time than to start the president though, is there?

Alex: Yeah, so I got back from Norway.

I'd done three months out there.

We'd done like novices.

Then we finished off with a massive I think it was like, I think

the field for 21, 21, 23 days.

And that is obviously enough to leave a man with his own

thoughts for that amount of time.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I came back from that Norway went on Easter, Easter leave, and I was

like, I played around with the social media bit in the past, which will, which

we'll touch on a bit later on when we go into obviously the social media stuff.

Tegs: But I was thinking like, ah.

I really want to give this social media thing.

Another crack.

And I remember speaking to this lad he'd been in air defense

for about nine years proper.

Looked up to him fucking really good lad, really good role model.

And I messaged him saying, lad, I'm thinking about doing something

like this on social media.

Like these sort of videos.

What's your honest thoughts?

'cause there's obviously like a few people that do the whole

military thing and I didn't wanna be disrespectful or take the piss outta

the Marines, you know what I mean?

Yeah.

In my head at the time I was a little bit conscious of lads taking the piss out of

someone making videos on the military.

'cause it's back then, even though it was only a year ago, it wasn't a done thing.

Whereas obviously now everyone smashes social, like the

Royal Marines of social media.

Fucking awesome.

One of my mates, Jack Sly slice shoots legend.

He runs loads of the raw marine ad campaign stuff for it now.

And they've sunk so much money into the advertising.

But like even this time last year, it wasn't, it was nowhere

near as big as it is now.

Like military content creators.

And I think there's a bit on there as well where.

You've not done at all.

You've not done that.

And I've seen it firsthand.

People giving you a bit of stick on social media for it.

I mean, you can't help when you're born.

You can't help that.

There's not a war going on when you do it.

Yeah.

But how does that affect you when people are like, oh, well what have you done?

How can you be a coach?

You've not even, you've not been to war, you've not done this.

No, because 'cause I think, 'cause I've just been I've been so open

and I just, I know that all my gongs are fucking chocolate.

I know that I've done nothing like mega alley.

But the stuff I've done it made me happy.

Like the trips and experiences I've done, I know for the vast majority of people,

they're not gonna ever experience, like no one's ever gonna be top of a mountain at

3000 meters in California, like in an op.

Do you know what I mean?

No one's gonna be in Australia in the outback, like fucking in,

in these ops and doing whatever in like the blistering heat.

Like absolutely.

This is that's still mega cool and like you gotta take what you can.

Yes, there's no wars going on, but you're still going on trips, you're still

seeing the world, you're still doing all this, and you still signed on the dotted

line not knowing what would happen.

Exactly.

LA lad's joining now thinking, I know some senior NCOs that have been

in for the best part of a decade head, they've not been to war.

Yeah.

You can't help it.

And you Absolutely.

And pre Afghan, pre Iraq, a lot of guys were the same as well, that

there wasn't a whole host of tours.

Alex: And the majority of people that joined don't go on deployments, do they?

No.

So I just, social media's been that enabler to allow a lot of hate

online, which we'll touch on later.

You signed off then, but was that to do.

Social media full-time, is that I want to be social media or is it more I

wanna be a coach or a mixture of both.

Tegs: So the goal is always, I love creating content, creating memories,

creating everything is, I think is like so good just to look back on Yeah.

And have what?

And I've always been mega creative.

Like when I was like, I've done like videography for people before.

Like I said, I've done social media a couple of times before when I was

competing in natural bodybuilding.

Yeah.

Like I, it's always been a sort of part for me.

I've always had a camera there, I've always done whatever.

And I'm so glad I started when I did because if I had left it till

my original plan was when I went on resettlement in February, they would be

like, none of this would've happened.

Because even in the space of that nine months, like it's become so oversaturated.

I'm probably part of the problem.

Well it's become so saturated because I think I. Sort of

understand how social media works.

And I worked out what worked and what didn't.

And within a couple of months, I was banging videos with five mil views.

Yeah.

There's that one eight second video of me getting my green lid.

Yeah.

And then like it cuts to a video of me training.

It's on 6 million views, which is Wow.

Which is something like absolutely.

Nuts.

Nuts.

Crazy.

And it was around then or just before that weed reached out to, wasn't it?

Yeah.

And being like, you know what?

For no other reason, I think you had a thousand followers then.

Yeah, I was time.

And we like, time this guy's, our people, I like everything about him.

We don't care that what you have or haven't done in a ring.

We just, like all the other athletes, it's, we like you as a person.

We like what you stand for.

Good morals, good lad.

And a little bit tapped.

Yeah.

A little bit crazy, A little bit wild.

Which yeah you embody everything that we do.

So you've gone away, you've left coaching business is doing okay.

Yeah.

So I literally did what every young lad dreamed of doing.

I literally left and as soon as I left, I went straight to Thailand.

Yeah.

Went went for Thailand, er.

8, 7, 8 weeks.

Six, no six or six or seven weeks.

And I went to Bali for four weeks and then I went to Portugal for

a drum and bass festival and I went to Corfu with my girlfriend.

And then I came back and then literally moved house into a

place I'd never even seen before.

But I just wanted to go away and experience a bit of freedom.

Something that I probably hadn't had in my time serving.

But I originally just started taking people on for free.

My whole thing was just trying to build up social media, build up credibility.

Like I knew I had the coaching, I loved doing it and loved getting lads fit.

And I'd done it a tiny bit in the past, but obviously I know

it, like I had to pay the bills.

So that's why I started while I was in the military, I was like, let me

gain as many free transformations and testimonials as possible.

'cause I never do it for the money.

Like I'm probably one of the cheapest coaches out on the market.

And that's not because I'm a shit coach.

If you literally look at my transformations, I'm one

of the best dogs around.

Full stop.

But I just wanted to build up that massive like reputation and credibility

so that when I did shift into starting to charging people, they're

like, oh he's a fair, decent price.

And look what he's done with all these people.

Like mega happy.

And that, that in my head was the most sensible thing to do.

So I built up, I think I had at one point I had 18 people on all for

free that I was just doing part-time while still serving in the Marines.

And then it got to around November, December time in 2024

where I started charging people.

And then it was doing all right.

And then in Thailand.

Yeah, it just started taking off.

I think Thailand made me as well, because Thailand question Lady, boys.

No.

Lady Boy.

Oh man.

Everyone always asks that.

That's not the, everyone always ask that.

You have to ask Thailand lady.

Boys.

That's, no, that's like saying, what's the capital?

Thailand, Bangkok.

Yeah.

Alex: It's one of them questions.

No, I mean, you have to ask.

There are a lot.

There are a lot about, but no, that absolutely not.

But it seems like your transition from military.

To back into the civilian world.

Now, as a veteran, wasn't that difficult.

I say to everyone, my Mrs. My mom, anyone that asks me that, I'm very blessed to be

in the pos in the position that I'm in.

Tegs: I think it's a naught point.

Naugh, Naugh, however many Naugh ones chance that someone would end up in

the situation that I'm in, like having that, call it luck, call it skill,

whatever, but the mix of both to leave the military with a few, like 15, 20,000

followers and to have a business set up and that's, it wasn't given to me.

Like I was basically working two jobs at the same time.

Four hours sleep a night, four months of a day.

Like I'd start work for the Marines at 8:00 AM.

Finish at four 5:00 PM Go bang gym, make content two hours, drive

home 40 minutes, and then eat.

And then from nine till one every night I was either editing content,

doing client stuff, dms, and I wake up at half six in the morning, drive

into work again, do it all over again.

Like I lived in list card which is like 40 minutes from where

I was based at The Citadel.

So I was doing a 40 minute drive there and back every day because

I was obviously in a shared com.

I couldn't make videos in the com with the lads.

Like I, I had to take that extra step.

So I was doing like 18 plus hour days relentlessly from literally when I started

in May till when I left in February.

That is what it took.

So like I, I do say yeah, I'm blessed because I'm in that sort of position.

But then also looking back at it, I did put in the amount of

work to get into that situation.

Yeah.

So it's absolutely, did anything surprise you though, during that transition?

Even if it was, this is so hard.

Or actually this isn't that difficult.

It's lonely mate.

It's especially with the line of work that I'm in now.

Yeah.

Yeah, we go in yes, they like social media is you talk to loads of people.

I talk to my clients like go and do collabs with people, whatever.

But it can be very lonely.

If I wasn't with my fucking misses then it would literally just be me on my own

in a room, in an office, like just staring at a screen for 12 plus hours a day.

And it really, I think what a lot of lad struggle with and there's a few of

my mates that are leaving around this time and it's leaving the lads having,

there's no other job in the world, and I always say this at all, where you

get a group of like-minded individuals all in the same room together that,

they've all done the same things.

They're fucking a top lad.

They've got the same level as banter as you, they're all fit.

They all love boozing.

You love doing stuff together.

It's not just work colleagues.

Like I went, I was going to fucking festivals with lads

who I went to America with.

Go.

We all go out on nights out having lad around my house to fucking

tea playing rugby with them.

Yeah.

That's the o the only thing that I cannot replicate in the civilian world.

That brotherhood of the brotherhood you can't replicate.

Yeah.

And yeah, you, you have mates and like people that are cities it's

not their like, like it's not a bad thing that you are not there 'cause

it's something that you can cherish.

Like having the thing with the lads is I think something that you are

cherish and I always will, but I think sometimes I still struggle a little bit

with missing out, like missing the lads and missing that environment a bit.

Yeah.

Maybe a bit of fomo, whatever, but I think you always will.

I think it's just one of those things where people, no matter how many years

they've been out, people I've chat to that have been out for fucking six months

or six years still struggle with it because it's such a weird adjustment.

Alex: Yeah, I know.

I really struggled with civilian street and reintegration.

I, social media wasn't a huge thing when I left, I think

around 2016 that I was out 2017.

Yeah, massive.

Kudos to you.

18 hour days when you were in, you would've thought then, oh, maybe

it's got a little bit easier now.

Tegs: Now you haven't got a raw readings job to do.

It's got worse.

Maybe.

I think we, we stopped chatting last night about midnight.

Yeah.

You put a story up about 10 past one in the morning.

Yeah.

And what time did you leave to come and see us this morning?

So I didn't actually go to sleep till like quarter two this morning.

And then my Mrs. Woke up at six o'clock this morning.

I woke up at half six, left here at seven.

We left Bristol at seven to get down here for, yeah, half eight.

And so those 18 hour days are more like 20 hour days.

Yeah.

And the thing is like I'm very blessed that like now my misses

like worked with me on the business.

Yeah.

And the whole reason I brought her onto the business was so that I would

have some more time to maybe chill out.

We'll have a couple more dates here and there, yeah.

Spend some like time together.

No, completely the opposite mate.

I'm now taking on more work, doing more shit, and I fucking love it.

Alex: Love it man.

Yeah.

It's sick.

And I think, and that's something I want to touch on.

You've said it a few times, so we know tags, the guy that's scared

to talk to women, but you said you've got a missus a few times.

Yeah.

Can we chat about Grace?

Yeah, we can.

Can we?

Yeah, we fuck.

Yeah, we can.

She's sat around the corner.

Tegs: I'm her boss.

I'll do what I want.

Yeah, so we, where did we, yeah, we got together in October last year.

Just few mutual friends from like Plymouth whatever.

She played for a Davenport Rugby club.

We had some mutual friends and literally just met her in the gym.

She was actually in the back of one of my videos.

I, I remember it, I was filming something on the assault bike and miked up a salt

bike session and me thrashing myself.

And you can literally see in the background she like walks back.

Yeah.

So I've just finished that session.

She was checking out that hairline.

Yeah.

Lad it was bearing in mind I had my fringe down at that point.

Obviously my hair now is slipped back, but at that point I had a downward fringe

fight for dear life and I looked like cooked differently, like pale face white

and where we were in the JD Gym, like you walk around the corner of the functional

bit and there's like a squat rack there.

She's in that squat rack, just chilling.

And she actually, I'm gonna say this as well, 'cause.

Fuck you.

She actually ghosted me.

So I messaged her, I sent like a DM on Instagram, tried to slide in differently.

This is just it exaggerates how poor it is and she actually left me unopened.

Yeah.

For five days.

And then I saw her in the gym and like it was just one of those things where I

just, I didn't even think about doing.

I just went over and just started, just gobbing off to her.

Just started chatting and literally the next, two days later we went

and got some food and then we were pretty much inseparable till I

went to Thailand in February, but I'd obviously booked Thailand and

everything before I'd even met her.

Yeah.

And I basically said to her, I was like, love, I'm not canceling Thailand.

Yeah.

But I was like, I'll leave it to you if you wanna break up.

Me dig out.

Yeah.

And she basically went, nah.

And I was like, fair fucks.

Yeah.

And then we literally went through the whole of Thailand and barley together.

Still together.

And then I literally met her at Gatwick Airport after not

seeing her for three months.

She thought I was like a not human character because obviously by being away

for three months you changed fuck Yeah.

And it hadn't been together that long.

No, don't been going fucking three months.

And then literally I met her at the airport.

We stayed in the airport that night and then we flew out to Corfu for nine days.

Bearing in mind the whole time I was away, like there was potential for

me to go out and live in Thailand.

And I basically said, do you wanna move out to Thailand with me?

And she said, yeah.

And then that fell through and I went, fuck it.

If we are gonna move to Thailand together, why don't just move to the

move somewhere in the UK together?

Yeah.

And she went, yeah, fuck it.

So she found us a flat to live in Bristol.

I was on FaceTime tour her while she was with the estate

agent going around like that.

Yeah.

Having a look at her.

Yeah.

And then we literally got back, drove from.

Gatwick to Brighton to pick up her car right into Cornwall

to pick up all of my stuff.

And then, so that was like a mad long drive.

And then literally we had four hours sleep and then she had to leave to go

up to Bristol at five in the morning because our washing machine was arriving.

And I literally grabbed all my stuff, said hello to my mum.

We hadn't seen in three months, like an hour.

And I drove up and we moved in one weekend.

Absolutely.

And then literally, here we are now, a year over a year in, she

now is on the business employed proper little slave loving.

It gets paid below minimum wage.

Nice.

Love it.

Good.

Yeah, it's mint made, but Does she do your washing?

Yeah, she does everything for me.

Cooking absolutely everything.

Yeah.

Cleaning gender rolls.

Yeah.

Whites my ass.

The fucking works.

Nice.

Good.

It's just difficult though because I find that like social media,

especially as we get a little bit bigger on social media and as I

grow, some people are fucking weird.

Me.

Like we, we were around, this is, I can't remember if I told you this story.

We were going around ca Circus a couple months back holding hands, pretty

fucking, pretty big step forward.

And like we, we are walking around the top level of Cupboard Circus.

And a couple hours later I'm going bro's.

Going through his dms and this bloke sent me a video.

He sent me a video from like the other side of Cab Circus and he's filmed me and

my misses walking through Cabot Circus.

And I sent a message being like, lad, it's fucking, bro.

You're right.

It's weird.

It's weird.

It's weirder you taking the time to get your phone out and film me walking

around with my fucking misses than it is to you just come up and say hello.

Yeah.

It's so odd, mate.

So I kept her out of it for quite a while and obviously she didn't wanna

be on like social media, but it's getting to the point now where some of

the stuff we're doing on social media, it, it's a two person job, like strap

a Christmas truth to my fucking back.

Yeah.

And wrapping myself in wrapping paper to run a mile, like it needs two people in.

Yeah.

And now she's on the business.

Like inevitably she's gonna be in some of the videos.

So we started like drip feeding it in a little bit now.

Yeah.

And then we're gonna do some mega announcement video probably just

before this podcast comes out actually.

Nice.

And then, yeah.

So she's not gonna be like in all of it, but like it's just, but

know that grace in the background.

Yeah.

I just wanted, I just didn't want any fucking weirdos getting fucking involved

with it, which never to believe.

There are.

Aren't there?

Yeah.

So it's, so we now know that, so text coaching, you are just the face of it,

but Grace actually runs the business.

Yeah.

And your personal life.

Yeah.

I haven't, I mean, I am the, I'm the brain field operation.

Alex: I dunno anymore.

So talk about later you came back, you had this mad rush coming back from Thailand.

Grace had sorted everything out for you.

Probably did your washing as well with that new washing machine that came, but

at the same time we were really kicking things off for combat for, weren't we?

We were fire mate.

Tegs: We were throwing your grid onto a tub, which I think you

were back in the country for.

Two days.

Yeah.

And then we launched the Tess version energy drink flavor

obviously of dynamite energy.

I still remember that, that voice note you sent me in the fucking car lad,

I, it must've been like February time.

Yeah.

And I just pulled up to the gym and I think I was saying about oh, how

it'd be so cool to do something like this or whatever, further down line.

And you were like, mate, we have an energy drink flavor already made up.

We'd have to do like a little bit more testing.

And you were like, what about we just stick t's coaching Yeah.

On the side of a tub.

And I was like I remember ringing grace afterwards.

I was like, you'll never guess what's just fucking happened.

And she was like, what?

What?

And I was like, we're gonna be making a Texs pre-workout.

Yeah.

The lads love it, mate.

The amount of people that message me Yeah.

From that pre-workout saying they can see colors.

Alex: Unbelievable.

Love it.

It's so surreal.

I still, I've got a tub in my flat that's it just sits there, which is

we gonna keep it as an original work.

Yeah.

As an original.

It's so sick and.

Let's chat a little bit about supplements.

So we, you were using a few different brands out there.

Tegs: We're gonna be very egotistical and pigheaded, how does Combat Fuel compare

to other brands that you may have used?

So back in the day, I used to use my protein like everyone fucking did.

Yeah.

When I was when I was in the band service and when I was competing in

bodybuilding, but I actually used the Combat Fuel stuff for about loads of lads.

Got like a shipment of it in when we got back from America in 2023.

And that's when I first found out about Combat Fuel.

And I was like, I tried some of the protein in that and I was

like, oh, this is pretty sick.

And then I ended up just buying some more bits from Combat Fuel anyway.

Yeah.

So I was using combat fuel for six to nine months before you, even, before you

reached, you even messaged me saying this.

And then when you did, I was like, oh, this is fucking, this is perfect.

Yeah.

And I, it was so surreal getting that first box of supplements.

I was like, oh wow, this is I've gotta for free and I literally

fucking paid for it last.

But it's one of those where like.

When you especially go into all these like events and doing all this shit and

I've tried a lot of different supplements in my time and you can a hundred

percent taste like taste the difference.

Feel the difference.

If you are gonna b and m bargains and buy in fucking a

pre-workout there, that's 12 quid.

Like you are gonna be fucked mate.

Like you are gonna you're gonna have the worst crashes, whatever.

And that's what I used to do because I was just like, oh, fuck it, I'll just get some

of this and like it's cheap and whatever.

And like it's the quality control is so important and it's but I think that's

why you have so many one returning customers and two new customers

because the returning customers are coming back because they know the

products are so good and the new customers, a lot of them are coming.

I, I have a load of people that always message me.

One saying they use code hairline if you're not already use that.

And two, they're saying like, oh, I've found out about this from like a friend

of mine who's been serving or who's even a civilian that's tried it and they

like, like they recommended it so much that's why they's why I want to use it.

And I think I'm such a big believer in results speaking for themselves

and like your image and your product speaking for itself, you

like yourself and your supplements.

Me and my coaching, like people have started like coming to me 'cause they've

been recommended by the people that I've helped that have either got their green

berry or got an absolutely wham I think reputation is such a massive thing and

it's so hard to gain, but so easy to lose.

So it's so important that you are like, you have integrity with yourself,

integrity about your product, what you're putting out there, making no half measures

so that you build that reputation like you have and I think it's safe to say you're

probably one of, if not the biggest.

Like supplement provider for across the whole military.

Like absolutely everyone I know banked in 15% of the military use our

products now, which is phenomenal.

It should be a hundred percent.

If you're not using combat fuel, you should be using it code hairline.

With a code hairline, you get money off and you support tag.

It's a win-win for everyone.

Alex: So for us, what is really hard and it's hard to get across, is

we're not the cheapest in the world, but you will never find a product that

is formulated as strongly as ours ever.

Things answer like our joint that you've been using recently.

It's the products we make are fantastic, which gets us onto

which, what do you currently use?

Tegs: So things I'll run you through what I use for my ultra marathon.

If you haven't, I did an ultra marathon by the way.

If if anyone's not seen it, oh, you probably have seen it.

It fucking banged that video.

Sick.

So like the main one, so I don't really use a protein powder

purely 'cause I just love chicken.

And I always say to people like, if you struggle to get your protein in a

protein powder is obviously a mega go-to, but I've just never struggled to get

my protein in because I just love meat in both fucking, but things like your

hydrate, that's probably the best one.

I was.

So when I was on that ultra, I would literally doing, I would fill up a

two liter camelback full of hydrate.

I put four sachets in there and then I'd have, and then I'd do eight.

So I did eight on the 60 K and then I did seven on the 50 K. The cups

and the clusters is lit. If I didn't have that, I probably wouldn't be

eating till 4:00 PM in the afternoon.

That is literally my breakfast and my lunch.

Sometimes mega useful for on the road.

Joint.

My knees are obviously fucked, so that is actually like really good.

And like Grace has got me on the zi, zinc and magnesium,

like she used it to go to sleep.

And if I've not been banging monsters at half one in the morning, I

actually want a good night's sleep.

I, I do that zinc and magnesium and that's mega.

Those are like my main ones that goes to obviously the takes pre-workout.

Like I rinse out, like it's going outta fashion.

I actually need to take a new tub today.

Thanks.

Those are probably my main ones, but I always say to people like, really

you don't need to overcomplicate it.

Alex: If you sure.

To get your protein in.

I say protein powder.

Vitamins yeah, zinc and magnesium and then a pre-workout if you love your caffeine

and that's a big thing for us as well.

You said like about you not using a protein powder and that's one of our

biggest, I mean it's not a marketing thing and it's terrible business, but we

always say to people it's protein powder is there to hit your daily protein goals.

Tegs: If you can use food, you, a supplement's there, the top

of the pyramid to hit you off.

And I think that's why I. We do well and we align together naturally well

because it's that stereotype mate.

Because the stereotype is, oh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna start you.

What do I need?

Pro shape?

Yeah.

Oh.

How many protein chains do you, you get outta Holland, the Barr and get

your fucking pants pulled down and you say, yeah, I'm 200 quid down.

I've got fucking three items to show for it.

Yeah.

And they're bullshit.

Yeah.

Holland the Barrett, fuck off.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Holland the Barrett do not sell good products.

Alex: It's gotta get shut down.

Now we gonna get canceled.

Fuck you.

Holland Barrett.

Yeah.

So what's next for tag's?

Tag coaching?

What is next me?

I mean, can we say out the Christmas stuff can be done by the time this popped.

You've done pretty, I mean the 30 miler is like the final raw Marines test.

Tegs: How could you make a 30 miler harder?

So we are doing it the Christmas calendar.

Okay.

Which you probably would've seen was a whole series of videos that

I came up with back in September.

And I remember sitting down with Grace.

I was like, I wanna do something tapped for Christmas, something

that's gonna make or break me.

I'm gonna make me on social media or break me as an individual

'cause I'm gonna have no sleep.

And at the moment it's breaking me.

Basically it's like a, it's a fucked video every single day for 24 days.

So like the first one was Mount Snowden in Crocs and Budgies, and

we've got loads of other shit like carrying a Christmas tree on my back.

How many pigs in blankets I can eat in fucking 10 minutes.

An eggnog mile, burpee kilometer, penny fan, and a suit.

Like all this stuff that genuinely you have to be like on the

spectrum to think of which I am.

And we're finishing off with the 30 miler in Crocs.

I did an ultra marathon in Crocs in a couple months ago when I was

trading for the Ultra in Morocco.

And literally every since then, like everyone was blowing up about it.

I did a High Rocks in Crocs and it's hard because I don't wanna be put

under that umbrella as the croc guy.

'cause then I have to do my whole life in Crocs.

But I was like, when I did that 30 miler, everyone Iver said, oh man,

that's a really good achievement.

Or in Crocs next.

And yeah, that same thing has gone into my end.

I think you've been called out for, you've got, are you gonna do it?

Yeah, I am.

I am.

I've been going around my head for age and I was saying the grace, I was like,

that'd be a really good way to finish off.

The Christmas calendar is on Christmas Eve 24th of December, so we're gonna

run it on the 22nd and obviously in a day or two to edit it or whatever.

Alex: And it'll go live on Christmas Eve and then I'm just going off

grid for Christmas day, fuck me.

The amount of work and hours.

Yeah.

I always said to you, Don, I like people see like a one minute video.

And they say, oh, it's easy being an influencer.

Yeah.

If we're gonna call it that it, oh, it's not that hard doing

social media that Snowden won.

Tegs: They don't see how long Yeah.

Snowden, how long did that take you to one film and to edit out?

So Snow, it was a four hour drive up, a four hour climb, four hour drive

back, hour and a half to edit you, you're talking 30 and a half hours.

Yeah.

I mean, yeah, it's done.

It's done fucking well.

I'm happy about it.

But it also that's, yeah, it's one that's done well, but that 32nd to a

minute video has a day's work behind it.

Minutes.

Every video you see is like one to two days worth of work, depending, and I

always write videos that I put that amount of work into and they don't do well.

They flop.

And I'm like, it's just so hard to not get fucking despondent.

Is that quite hard to see when a video flops and you're like, ah.

Does it make you then think, ah.

I don't care.

I'm not gonna do that anymore.

It, no, because I would make content if fucking 10 people watched it.

I love it.

And that just shows that you are passionate about what you do.

It's, there's no other ulterior motive in it.

You just enjoy doing what you do.

I think.

Yeah.

Which I think the reason why I always say this, the reason why most

people fall off social media and they give up with coaching, they give up

with everything is because they're doing it for the wrong reasons.

They're doing it because they want to get famous.

Yeah.

And they want to make a lot of money on coaching, trying to chase the money.

Absolutely.

And I've always done it because I've just loved making videos

and love creating content.

Absolutely.

And entertaining.

That's like the whole reason why I've done it.

And yeah.

I do get a little despondent sometimes.

I went through a massive rebound a few months ago.

Yeah.

Where I wasn't talking about the military anymore, because I didn't Yeah.

Which you don't touch on anymore.

No.

At all.

Really.

It's I do a little bit.

I'll do, I'll mention it sometimes.

And sometimes I will do like a video on a full week of training for the raw ring or

I just don't bang it every video because like I said, it's so saturated now.

Yeah.

And obviously 'cause I rinsed it so much in the start and lots of people

saw me do well and there's a couple of people that have obviously copycats,

you've had it with copycat brands.

I have it with people that try copycat me fucking word for word and

like wearing chains wearing crocs.

Even the same Crocs.

Yeah.

Lad.

And it it's, but it's the, like imitation is the biggest form of flower.

Yeah.

You've gotta be doing something right.

That people are like, I want to do this, I want, and I go, I always say

as well, it's especially now with this crystal calendar stuff, at the

end of every video I go to Grace, I go, good luck fucking copying that.

Alex: And it's so funny.

But like that sort of.

How you need to go about it, but because everyone's always

doing it for fame or whatever.

Yeah.

Then, and it's just the, it's the wrong reasons.

Like when I started Combat Fuel, it's because, I like supplements

and I think I can do it better than what other people are doing.

Tegs: And we are seven and a half years when this comes out, we'll be seven

years and nine months old, which is wild.

Yeah.

Like we're knocking on the door of a decade of doing businessing and I

still don't really know what I'm doing.

I just make products for myself and hope that everyone else likes them.

But you can't go wrong when you do things because you're passionate

about them and you're not just there trying to chase something that Yeah.

And I always say, mate, it will eventually work out.

I say it's in all my life.

Motivational video.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Always.

Eventually it will work out.

It has to.

If you leave no stone unturned at the end of every day and you.

Literally go, I go to bed every night, fucked mate.

I go to bed and I'm like literally lying there, like eyes are in the back of my

head, like just so tired and so depleted.

But I'm like, yeah, I've done everything I could have done today.

Alex: Yeah, absolutely.

And I wake up the next morning, I go, right, what's next?

And that's what you have to do.

And if you don't do that, and if you go, oh, I could have done a bit more

today, or I could have done this or that, you are not gonna make it.

But before we finish, I think we should touch on something which is probably quite

controversial to those that aren't in the world of what we do is everything we do.

Tegs: So we've got, takes coaching, we've also got our relationship.

And I know for me, I find it really difficult trying to

balance a relationship and work.

And for me personally, work comes first, but in 10, 20 years down the line, we'll

be so grateful to look back on that.

We put absolutely everything into it and I'm not gonna retire at 70

years old having to still work.

I'll have the ability to step away while I'm say 50 and really enjoy a lot of time.

Where are you at the moment with you and Grace?

And what would come first for you?

See, I've always, I think I've always said to grace that the work does

come first because takes, coaching's been my child and I always say to her

one, I'm very appreciative because she puts up with a lot of shit mate.

I'll come in at oh my God, do you remember that time that I came in LA at

one o'clock in the morning in September.

And I went, can I book this?

She was like, what the fuck are you on about?

I was like, it's an ultra marathon in the late district next year.

And she was like, what?

I was like, yeah, but you want, you wanted me to fucking

tell you when I booked stuff?

And she went, thank you for doing that.

But it's one in the morning.

That's obviously, I just fucking remember that.

That's so funny in it.

But like I know.

I'm fucking, I'm dreadful mate.

With the work life balance, I am probably the worst bloke ever and I will like.

Yeah, I'm mega, mega poor at it and especially when

Grace wasn't on the business.

Yeah.

We definitely struggled a little bit because I was doing shit

every single day and we only really had the weekend together.

Yeah.

And obviously you need to be spending that time together.

Still come back from not seeing me for three months in Thailand.

Yeah.

It's kudos as well to Grace for still being there.

She's on the business now, but being there in her background and understanding,

not it's, this isn't just a, I'll do this for now and give me time, do this.

It's, I see where you're going with your life.

Yeah.

Obviously your relationship's, a relationship, but to be supportive of you

and what you're doing and your vision, I think is highly commendable for her.

It's Megan, man.

I've got a very, I always say I've got a very small circle, but all

the people in it I fucking trust.

Yeah.

To the end of the earth.

And I think we are in a position now where it has laid off a tiny bit because now

we spend a lot more time together because she comes along to the majority of things.

Yes.

Which is massive.

And I think that we would've definitely struggled a bit more

if I was out doing all this stuff.

Because say for example I'm flying all to all these different countries,

can't take her 'cause she's working.

And then unless it's like I put it through like personally not on the business,

it's, it was it's mega and mega difficult.

And especially when we weren't living together and I was

doing all this time, it was it.

But I feel like because we've weathered the storm, we've gone through all

that hardship in that, like she's only been in business since Octo, no.

September.

So it's only been like a month and a half, two months.

But because we've weathered that storm from May till September.

We are now like reaping the benefits a bit.

And don't get me wrong, the work life balance is still fucked.

We are like, yeah, absolutely.

We'll be in the same house together in different rooms and we'll barely

speak to each other the whole day.

Alex: But it is, like you said, like further down the line, we've

got so much stuff that we want do and that age old saying, do the

work now because you're future self will thank you before wearing it.

Know anyone can be comfortable and sit there and be happy and have all

the time in the world with each other.

Tegs: But I, I'm a big firm believer of going out and getting after it.

Yeah.

If you could talk to your younger self, be it when you're a child, when you were

joining the band, anything, what's the one piece of advice that you'd give yourself?

This is the actual, this is the only question I actually prepped for.

Nice.

This is the only question I actually fucking prepped for.

My piece of advice to my younger self would be, don't be a fucking pussy.

And just whatever opportunity presents itself.

Do not doubt yourself and fucking take it.

Because that's the, like I said, that's the only thing that I've regretted

was not going for that Royal Marines commandos when I got offered it.

Alex: That is the only thing that I regret.

And now ever since then, I've never taken anything, I've

never passed up an opportunity.

So it would just be take over, take every opportunity that comes and back yourself.

Yeah, absolutely.

I love that.

And if there's one life lesson that you could give to

everyone, what would that be?

Tegs: So different to advice, but what's a life lesson?

Stop caring what other people fucking think of you, lads.

I'm women for that.

I'm there for that.

I definitely get some fucking looks with what I'm doing.

And as soon as you can eliminate the, to to stop caring about what other people

think of you, your life will change.

I've said this in videos on social media.

As soon as you eliminate.

Opinion of other people.

Genuinely, your life will skyrocket.

And you have freedom.

Have freedom, you freedom.

You have true freedom.

When you stop caring about anyone in a hundred years from now, who's gonna

care what we did on an Instagram thing?

Who's gonna care what we did down the pub?

Whatever it is, just stop caring about whatever people think because other

people and what they think to an extent.

It doesn't affect your life in any way, shape or form.

Yeah.

And I always say, why would you let the opinion of a random

individual dictate your life?

Like why, if say for example, like you said about hate on social media.

Yeah.

Some little freak that I don't even know if he comments saying, oh, you look fat,

or your hairline's washed, or whatever.

Like, why would I let that affect me?

Because I dunno, this bloke, I'm never gonna hear him P me again.

See him again.

Like it, it's genuinely like I started stop stopping caring what people

think about me back in lockdown.

Yeah.

And like I said, yeah, changed it for the better and yeah.

The stuff we do now, absolute fudgy.

These Crocs up.

Snowden.

Yeah.

People like, but people love it.

Like most people think, oh, people are gonna think I'm a weirdo.

Alex: People are up there fucking asking to take photos of me being like

this, no one's gonna believe that.

You've I've seen this.

And like it's giving people a little bit of it would actually absolutely.

Shed light like, you know what I mean?

Give a bit, give it a joy to some people.

Is there any misconceptions that you'd like to address even with yourself?

Tegs: The business, social media, anything?

No, I think, 'cause I put everything out there and I'm so real about everything.

Yeah.

And I've never had a dispute, never had a drama.

And because I'm so honest and open about everything I do.

And I, 'cause I don't pretend to be someone I'm not on social media.

Yes.

There physically is nothing I ever have to dispute because I know that

people are watching me because it's me.

Yeah.

They're not watching a persona a fucking fake anything.

So I know that, and that's whenever I bump into anyone that follows me online,

it's like they're a fucking mate.

Yeah.

Because they know, I know that if they watch my stuff, I know they're

gonna get on with me because they they buy with my personality.

Alex: So I know that it's just a like-minded community of individuals

that are just little freaks like me.

Yeah.

So and I feel like if you have to come on places like this and address stuff,

doing it wrong, you know what I mean?

Yeah.

Like that, doing it fucking wrong.

Like that one action that people can take today to bet

their lives are to do anything.

Tegs: What's one thing that, that you've bit of.

Make someone happy, man.

Go fucking give someone a compliment.

Chat to someone in the fucking gym.

Do something that's gonna put you outside your comfort zone a little bit that

you'll look back on in a week or so and go, oh, I'm well happy I did that.

I think too many people are just so hesitant to do stuff, and even

if it's just say to someone off in the gym, your outfit looks

sick, or Mate, you are strong.

You are looking big.

Like compliments go a fucking long way.

I say to blokes in the gym all the time, fucking hell, you

are so much bigger than me.

And yeah.

They'll remember that.

Do you know what I mean?

Like absolutely.

It may just be a passing comment to you, but absolutely.

Just do something to make someone else happy.

Alex: Tell your mom you love them.

Yeah.

Love that.

That's what I always do.

Love that.

Wicked powerful stuff.

Tex man, thank you very much.

And for those watching, what can I do to come and support you?

I mean, I think people watching know where you are anyway.

Yeah, of course.

Social media.

What could people do to help support you in your journey?

Tegs: Ah, fucking use code hairline and share the Christmas calendar videos.

It's breaking me as an individual.

I love it, brother, thank you for coming.

Thanks for having me.

Thank for your service and thank you for being a part of our

family of combat fuel as well.

Yeah, much love.

Much loved you.

That was sick, wasn't it?

That's cool.

That's cool, man.

I felt a problem.

Professional, your boy.