Firefighter Wolé Adesemoye from Battersea Fire Station is one of six contestants competing on the hit BBC Three programme Last Man Standing.
Wolé has travelled to 10 countries, sampling the local cultures and competing in ancient tribal events in the most remote parts of the world. The series will see him canoe race in Brazil, high altitude climbing in Nepal and endurance foot racing in Siberia. Wolé explains; “It was an epic adventure, visiting some of the most stunning places in the world.”
He joined the Brigade in 2001 and has attended big incidents including the major fire in flats near the Royal Albert Hall in 2007. Wolé has also worked with the Brigade’s positive action team, which encourages people to think about fire service careers, and hopes his involvement in the show can be an inspiration to young people. Wolé continued; “I hope I can be a positive role model to black and minority ethnic communities and show if I can become a firefighter so can you.”
Living with the locals and respecting their cultures is a big part of the television show and Wolé believes that his skills as a London firefighter have helped him through the journey. He continued; “Communicating with the local communities, dealing with difficult situations and respect for people are all skills I perform in my working life, and they helped me immensely in the show. Being part of a diverse workforce with people of different genders, races and religions has also given me the skills to have understanding and respect which were essential in the tribal areas.”
The first show aired on Tuesday 14 October and saw Wolé winning a stick fighting challenge in Ethiopia. Despite his victory, it was the toughest place Wolé visited. He said; “It was really difficult living conditions as we were 2,500 metres above sea level, but it does make think about all things we take for granted back home. It has also made me incredibly humble and realise how lucky we are to have things like hot running water.”
Wolé, 28, lives in Fulham, West London and has lived there since he was five when his family moved from Nigeria. His training schedule sees him up at 6am every other day running three miles as well as weight exercises in the afternoon to keep him fit. He is an amateur boxer and trains at Dale youth amateur boxing club in North Kensington. Wolé said; “I used to play semi-professional football and ran the London Marathon in 2006 which was my greatest achievement before appearing on the show. Training is a huge part of my job as a firefighter and I’m lucky that it also allows me to have a great work life balance.”
Laid-back Wolé has worked on the blue watch at Battersea for the past four years. He concluded; “We didn’t know where we were going until we arrived at the airport. I wanted to prove to myself that if you put your mind to it you can complete it. It was truly a trip of a lifetime.”
